SAN DIEGO - For the second consecutive season and the third time in last five seasons San Diego State and New Mexico will meet for the Mountain West Conference Tennis Championship. The Aztecs and the Lobos earned a spot in the finals with victories in Friday's semifinal round at the Barnes Tennis Center.
Top-seeded New Mexico, which won the 2000 league championship, advanced to the title match with a 5-0 victory over fifth-seeded Utah. The Lobos got victories from their top two doubles teams and received singles victories from Divan Coetzee, Henry Gers, Hiroud Akhavan and Jasmin Hodzic to record the win.
Third-seeded San Diego State, which has won the last two conference titles, upset second-seeded UNLV 4-2 to advance to the final. The Aztecs claimed the doubles point and won three straight-set singles matches for the victory. Felix Hardt, Ryan Redondo and Markus Dickhardt were victorious in singles play for SDSU.
The Aztecs and Lobos meet for the league title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The match is scheduled to begin at noon PDT.
(1) NEW MEXICO 5, (5) UTAH 0
Match Start Time: 11 a.m. PDT
Weather: 69 degrees, Winds out of SW 10 mph
DOUBLES --
No. 1 - David Kowalski/Ryan Stotland (UNM) def. Roeland Brateanu/Miron Mann (Utah), 8-4
No. 2 - Divan Coetzee/Hiroud Akhavan def. Nick Coutts/Tomasz Grzyb (Utah), 8-1
No. 3 - Jasmin Hodzic/Henry Gers (UNM) vs. Ryan Scott/Jason Yap (Utah), 7-4 (DNF)
Order of Finish: 2,1
Clinched Point: 1
SINGLES --
No. 1 - Divan Coetzee (UNM) def. Roeland Brateanu (Utah), 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 - Tomasz Grzyb (Utah) leads David Kowalski (UNM), 6-2, 5-4
No. 3 - Ryan Stotland (UNM) vs. Miron Mann (Utah), 6-3, 6-6, DNF
No. 4 - Henry Gers (UNM) def. Nick Coutts (Utah), 6-1, 6-4
No. 5 - Hiroud Akhavan (UNM) def. Jason Yap (Utah), 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 - Jasmin Hodzic (UNM) def. Ryan Scott (Utah), 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 4, 1
Clinched Match: 4
Time of Match: 2:21
(3) SAN DIEGO STATE 4, (2) UNLV 2
Match Start Time: 2:30 p.m. PDT
Weather: 68 degrees, winds out of the north at 15 mph; sunny and breezy
DOUBLES --
No. 1 - Ryan Redondo/Felix Hardt (SDSU) vs. Henner Nehles/Romain Massaro (UNLV), 6-4, DNF
No. 2 - Markus Dickhardt/Dontia Haynes (SDSU) def. Joel Kielbowicz/Aviram Salomon (UNLV), 8-4
No. 3 - Daniel Jung/Michael Coehlo (SDSU) def. David DiMartino/Marko Blagojevic (UNLV), 8-6
Order of Finish: 2, 3
Clinched Point: 3
SINGLES --
No. 1 - Felix Hardt (SDSU) def. Henner Nehles (UNLV), 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 - Ryan Redondo (SDSU) def. Aviram Salomon (UNLV), 7-5, 6-2
No. 3 - Markus Dickhardt (SDSU) def. Romain Massaro (UNLV), 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 - Daniel Jung (SDSU) vs. David DiMartino (UNLV), 6-4, 3-6, 2-1, DNF
No. 5 - Joel Kielbowicz (UNLV) def. Dontia Haynes (SDSU), 6-3, 3-2, ret.
No. 6 - Marko Blagojevic (UNLV) def. Michael Coehlo (SDSU), 6-1, 6-4
