SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's tennis team looks to build on a two-match winning streak on Tuesday, when it plays host to Eastern Washington in a non-conference clash at Aztec Tennis Center. First serve is set for 2 p.m. PT.
The Aztecs churned out a 2-1 record at the San Diego Spring Classic this past weekend, dropping a 4-1 decision to No. 38 Harvard, before rebounding with a 4-1 triumph over Drake, followed by a 4-3 thriller over Memphis. With the victories, SDSU raises its record to 7-6, surpassing its win-total from the previous season when it went 6-20 in dual-match competition.
Sophomore Jan Kirchhoff leads the Scarlet and Black with an 18-8 singles record, including an 8-3 mark in dual matches rotating between the third, fourth and fifth positions, while senior Sander Gjoels-Andersen and junior Rafael Gonzalez Almazan are both 7-3 on the spring.
The Eagles (3-8, 0-2 Big Sky) are coming off a 7-0 shutout of Seattle on the road in their last outing on March 17. EWU is paced by senior Jeremy Field, who sports a 7-4 singles record in dual matches, including a 6-2 ledger at the top of the ladder. In addition, junior Mikayel Khachatryan has recorded five victories of his own this spring, along with freshmen Manuel Balce and Wout Douman.
The two sides will be meeting for the second year in a row, with SDSU claiming a 6-1 on The Mesa in 2018. The Aztecs earned the doubles point, winning two of three matches, before pocketing five victories in singles competition. Kirchhoff ultimately provided the clinching tally in the fourth spot, while Gjoels-Andersen, Gonzalez Almazan and Arnaud Restifo emerged triumphant as well.
Following Tuesday's encounter, San Diego State returns to the courts on Friday, March 29, when it travels to Utah State for a Mountain West dual match, starting at 11 a.m. MT/10 a.m. PT. Links to live stats and streaming video will be available on GoAztecs.com.