SDSU MEN'S TENNIS STYMIED BY NO. 22 STANFORD

Aztecs drop seventh straight dual match

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 29, 2017 (Rancho Sante Fe) - The San Diego State men’s tennis team stepped off campus for a non-conference dual match against No. 22 Stanford on Wednesday, but came up on the wrong side of a 4-0 decision at Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club. With the loss, the Aztecs dropped their seventh in a row, falling to 5-12 on the year, while the Cardinal improve to 10-4 overall.

For the seventh time in its last nine outings, SDSU was unable to secure the early doubles point as the Aztec tandem of junior Santiago Cevallos and freshman Nicholas Mitchell suffered a 6-3 defeat at the hands of 67th-ranked Michael Genender and Sameer Kumar in the No. 2 position, while the duo of sophomore Sander Gjoels-Andersen and freshman Joel Popov experienced an identical 6-3 setback to Brandon Sutter and David Wilcynzski in the No. 3 spot. Over on the No. 1 court, the Aztecs’ 51st-ranked pairing of seniors Marko Goles-Babic and Milen Ianakiev held a narrow 5-4 advantage over Tom Fawcett and Yale Goldberg before the match was halted.

SDSU played well in spots during singles competition, but could not secure results, as Stanford posted three victories in straight sets to blank the Scarlet and Black for the second year in a row. First off the court was Cevallos, who fell victim to Sutter, 6-0, 6-4, in the No. 5 position, while Popov was dispatched by Wilczynski in the third slot, 6-1, 6-1. Shortly thereafter, sophomore Raul de la Torre came up short against William Genesen at No. 6 by a 6-3, 6-2 margin.

Three matches were abandoned when the clinching fourth point was recorded, including Goles-Babic, who captured the opening set in his encounter with 15th-ranked Fawcett in the No. 1 spot, 7-5, before falling behind 3-2 in the second. Over on court two, Ianakiev dropped the first set to No. 115 Kumar, 6-4, but rebounded to win the second, 6-3, before grabbing a 1-0 lead in the third. Meanwhile, Gjoels-Andersen was knotted with 99th-ranked Genender, 2-2, in the second set after claiming the first, 6-4, in the No. 4 position.

San Diego State will return to Aztec Tennis Center next week for a pair of Mountain West dual matches, battling Fresno State on Friday, April 7, followed by a clash with Nevada on Sunday, April 9.

No. 22 Stanford 4, San Diego State 0

March 29, 2017

Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Doubles

1. #51 Marko Goles-Babic/Milen Ianakiev (SDSU) vs. Tom Fawcett/Yale Goldberg (STAN), 5-4, DNF

2. #67 Michael Genender/Sameer Kumar (STAN) def. Santiago Cevallos/Nicholas Mitchell (SDSU), 6-3

3. Brandon Sutter/David Wilczynski (STAN) def. Sander Gjoels-Andersen/Joel Popov (SDSU), 6-3

Order of finish: 2, 3

Stanford wins doubles point

Singles

1. Marko Goles-Babic (SDSU) vs. #15 Tom Fawcett (STAN), 7-5, 2-3, DNF

2. Milen Ianakiev (SDSU) vs.  #115 Sameer Kumar (STAN), 4-6, 6-3, 1-0, DNF

3. David Wilczynski (STAN) def. Joel Popov (SDSU), 6-1, 6-1

4. Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU) vs. #99 Michael Genender (STAN), 6-4, 2-2, DNF

5. Brandon Sutter (STAN) def. Santiago Cevallos (SDSU), 6-0, 6-4

6. William Genesen (STAN) def. Raul de la Torre (SDSU), 6-3, 6-2

Order of finish: 5, 3, 6*

* - Match-clinching victory