The Aztecs knocked off UCSB and Utah on the road this weekend.

March 10, 2013

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The No. 36 San Diego State Men's Tennis team won two dual matches in Santa Barbara, Calif., this weekend, defeating UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, 4-3, and knocking off Utah on Sunday, 5-2.

In a tight match against UCSB on Saturday, junior Juan Florez rallied after losing the first set with the match tied at three to defeat Alexander Gryaznov, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, to earn SDSU's fourth point and seal the match victory. No. 71 Derek Siddiqui topped Mbonisi Ndimande, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, and sophomore Thorsten Bertsch beat Axel Bouillin, 6-3, 6-3.

In doubles play to begin the match, Siddiqui and sophomore partner Andranik Khachatryan earned a win over Bouillin and Benjamin Recknagel, 9-8 (5), while the duo of Florez and freshman Marvin Tawasi added a victory against Miles Seemann and Andrew Riminton, 8-2.

The Aztecs swept all three doubles matchups to begin Sunday's match against Utah, and SDSU's top-4 singles players each earned victories. The No. 1 doubles unit of Bertsch and junior Hunter Nicholas knocked off Devin Lane and Alejandro Medinilla, 8-6, while Siddiqui and Khachatryan defeated Dmytro Mamedov and Ben Tasevac, 8-4, and Florez and Tawasi held off Cedric Willems and Garrett LaBarre, 8-5.

Tawasi beat Tasevac, 6-0, 6-3, for the Aztecs first singles point of the match, as Nicholas (6-3, 7-5), Siddiqui (7-5, 6-2) and Bertsch (6-3, 1-6, 7-5) each won to seal SDSU's third-straight win. Siddiqui and Bertsch each went 2-0 in singles play over the weekend, while the Aztecs No. 2 doubles team of Siddiqui and Khachatryan won both of its matches.

The Aztecs return to action on Thursday, March 21, at the SDSU/USD Invite.