SAN DIEGO – Fresh off a doubleheader sweep in its return to action from a two-week pause, the San Diego State men's tennis team was unable to sustain the momentum on Sunday, dropping a 4-0 decision to visiting UC Irvine at Aztec Tennis Center.
With the loss, SDSU saw its five-match winning streak snapped against the Anteaters, slipping to 2-3 overall, while UCI improves to 3-2 on the year.
The Aztecs found themselves behind the proverbial eight-ball after two tandems experienced identical 6-2 setbacks to yield the early doubles point.
SDSU's No. 1 duo of Johannes Seeman and Aaro Pollanen were toppled by Bjorn Hoffman and Bruce Man-Son-Hing, while the No. 2 combo of Rafael Gonzalez Almazan and Ignacio Martinez were toppled by Mark Teneff and Thomas Smart.
With the doubles outcome no longer in question, the encounter on the third court was abandoned, with the Anteaters' Jeremy Merville and Matthew Sah holding a 5-2 lead over Judson Blair and Victor Castro.
The Aztecs could not reverse the trend in singles, as UCI claimed victories in three completed matches to secure the shutout.
First off the court was Castro, who suffered a 6-3, 6-1 defeat at the hands of Sah in the fourth position, while Seeman fell victim to Hoffman, 7-6(8), 6-2, at the top spot after a close battle in the opening set.
Moments later, Blair was upended by Mike Mkrtchian in the fifth slot, 6-3, 6-4, giving the Anteaters the necessary fourth point on the team scoreboard.
Two matches were left unfinished when the winning team point was clinched. Gonzalez Almazan found himself in a tough battle with Peneff at No. 3, forging a 2-2 tie in the second set after narrowly dropping the first, 7-5.
Meanwhile, Roni Rikkonen was within striking distance of Ali Amiri in the sixth spot, trailing 6-5 in set number two after falling by a 6-4 count in the opener.
San Diego State continues its homestand on Friday, March 5, when it welcomes UC Davis to Aztec Tennis Center, starting at 2 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Blanked by UC Irvine, 4-0
