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Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
February 18, 2023 (Los Angeles) - The San Diego State men’s tennis team played for the second straight day at the LMU Tennis Center on the campus of Loyola Marymount and, on Saturday, the Aztecs struggled to get anything going against a Utah team that has both a ranked singles player and doubles pairing, falling 7-0.
The Scarlet and Black fall to 1-4 this season, while Utah improves to 7-2, with their first neutral site victory of the season.
“Plenty of close matches and opportunities in both singles and doubles today,” head coach Gene Carswell said after the match. “We need to be better at capitalizing in these moments, otherwise they evaporate.”
SDSU fell behind early, dropping the doubles point. On the top court Johannes Seeman and Chikaya Sato battled No. 17 ranked Berk Bugarikj and Patrik Trhac but came up short 6-4. Alexander Mandma and Bora Sengul fell to Franco Capalbo and Geronimo Espin Busleiman 6-3, as the No. 2 duo. On the No. 3 court, Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice and Mathieu Josserand were locked in a 5-5 duel with Francisco Bastias and Bruno Caula when the Utes clinched the doubles point.
On the second court, Sato (2-3) claimed the first set 6-2 against Capalbo, but was unable to close out the match, falling 6-1, 6-2 in the final two sets.
Sengul (0-4) faced Caula on the No. 4 court and also took an early lead, winning the first set 6-3 but was bested from that point and fell 6-2, 6-2.
A steady presence on the No. 1 court for San Diego State this season, Seeman entered the day with a 4-0 record. However, the junior was dropped from the ranks of the undefeated in a 6-0, 6-2 loss to No. 37 Espin Busleiman.
On the No. 3 court, Mandma (1-4) lost 6-4, 6-0 to Bastias.
Playing on the fifth court, Josserand (0-4) ran out of steam against Trhac in a 7-6, 6-2 defeat.
Andre Saleh (1-1) played on the No. 6 court against Bugarikj and made the first set close but fell shy of a win 7-6, 6-4.
San Diego State will return to action on Thursday, March 2, when it faces UC Santa Barbara at the Aztec Tennis Center at 1 p.m. PT and then compete in the Pacific Coast Doubles Championships at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club in La Jolla, Calif. The tournament lasts four days, March 2 through Sunday, March 5.
Utah 7, San Diego State 0
LMU Tennis Center – Los Angeles, Calif.
February 18, 2023
Singles Competition
1. No. 37 Geronimo Espin Busleiman (Utah) def. Johannes Seeman (SDSU) 6-0, 6-2
2. Franco Capalbo (Utah) def. Chikaya Sato (SDSU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
3. Francisco Bastias (Utah) def. Alexander Mandma (SDSU) 6-4, 6-0
4. Bruno Caula (Utah) def. Bora Sengul (SDSU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Patrik Trhac (Utah) def. Mathieu Josserand (SDSU) 7-6, 6-2
6. Berk Bugarikj (Utah) def. Andre Saleh (SDSU) 7-6, 6-4
Doubles Competition
1. No. 17 Berk Bugarikj/Patrik Trhac (Utah) def. Johannes Seeman/Chikaya Sato (SDSU) 6-4
2. Franco Capalbo/Geronimo Espin Busleiman (Utah) def. Alexander Mandma/Bora Sengul (SDSU) 6-3
3. Mathieu Josserand/Eugenio Gonzalez Fitzmaurice (SDSU) faced Francisco Bastias/Bruno Caula (Utah) 5-5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,3,5,6,2,4)
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