SDSU MEN'S TENNIS BLANKS AIR FORCE 4-0

Aztecs snap three-match slide

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo:  Ignacio Martinez was a winner at No. 1 singles vs. Air Force on Sunday.  Courtesy goaztecs.com

April 8, 2018 (San Diego) - San Diego State snapped a three-match losing streak with a much-needed 4-0 shutout of Air Force on Sunday in a Mountain West dual at Aztec Tennis Center.

For the second straight outing, the Aztecs (4-18, 2-3 MW) captured the doubles point and made it stand up with three victories in singles play to defeat the Falcons (10-12, 0-4 MW) for the 31st consecutive occasion dating back to 1989.

SDSU set the tone early, as the pairing of Sander Gjoels-Andersen and Rafael Gonzalez Almazan registered a 6-2 triumph over Isaac Perez and Patrick Sklanka in the No. 1 spot, while the duo of Raul de la Torre duplicated the feat with a 6-2 conquest of Tadhg Collins and Luke Sanderson in the No. 2 position.

Over on court No. 3, the Aztec combo of David Hough and Arnaud Restifo trailed 5-4 against Paul Hendrix and Jamie Bautista, but the match was abandoned with the doubles outcome no longer in question.

SDSU wasn’t about to let a 1-0 lead slip through its grasp as was the case in Friday’s loss to New Mexico, posting three singles victories in straight-set fashion to secure the win.

Ignacio Martinez kept the momentum on the side of the Scarlet and Black after posting his first triumph at the top of the Aztecs’ ladder this year with a 6-2, 6-3 conquest of Sklanka, while Restifo outlasted Perez, 7-5, 6-4 moments later to give the host school a commanding 3-0 advantage.

Fittingly, Raul de la Torre provided the clinching point shortly thereafter, pinning a 6-3, 6-3 defeat on Collins in the sixth slot to extend his personal winning streak to four straight.

The three remaining matches were each suspended in the third set when SDSU locked up the win. Kirchhoff found himself in a 2-2 deadlock with Sean McKendree on the No. 5 court, while Gonzalez Almazan held a 3-1 advantage over Hendrix in the fourth slot. Rounding out the lineup was Gjoels-Andersen, who faced a 2-1 deficit against Sanderson in the No. 3 position.

UP NEXT

San Diego State hits the road for its final two dual matches of the regular season, traveling to Nevada on Friday, April 13 before locking horns Fresno State on Sunday, April 15.

San Diego State 4, Air Force 0

April 8, 2018

San Diego, Calif.

Aztec Tennis Center

Doubles

1. Sander Gjoels-Andersen/Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU) def. Isaac Perez/Patrick Sklenka (AF), 6-2

2. Raul de la Torre/Jan Kirchhoff (SDSU) def. Tadhg Collins/Luke Sanderson (AF), 6-2

3. Paul Hendrix/Jamie Bautista (AF) vs. David Hough/Arnaud Restifo (SDSU), 5-4 DNF

Order of finish: 1, 2

SDSU wins doubles point

Singles

1. Ignacio Martinez (SDSU) def. Patrick Sklenka (AF), 6-2, 6-3

2. Arnaud Restifo (SDSU) def. Isaac Perez (AF), 7-5, 6-4

3. Luke Sanderson (AF) vs. Sander Gjoels-Andersen (SDSU), 6-3, 4-6, 2-1 DNF

4. Rafael Gonzalez Almazan (SDSU) vs. Paul Hendrix (AF), 7-5, 3-6, 3-1 DNF

5. Jan Kirchhoff (SDSU) vs. Sean McKendree (AF), 2-6, 6-4, 2-2 DNF

6. Raul de la Torre (SDSU) def. Tadhg Collins (AF), 6-3, 6-3

Order of finish: 1, 2, 6*

* Match-clinching victory