Benagls slip past Aggie men
An up-and-down regular season ended on a bit of a downer Monday as the USU men’s tennis team lost its final home match 4-3 to the Idaho State Bengals.
With the loss, the Aggies’ spring record falls even at 9-9. That record includes a 0-2 record against the Bengals and a 3-4 record against all Big Sky opponents.
The Aggies got off to a good start against Idaho State by winning the doubles point, 2-1, with wins by the No. 1 and 3 teams.
The Aggies’ No. 1 team of Johannes Zelle and Joao Pinho out-fought Idaho State’s Marc Pijoan and Pablo Garces, 8-6. At No. 3, USU’s freshman duo of Bryan Marchant and Mike Banks steamrolled Idaho State’s Ryo Sakamoto and Masimba Ruwo, 8-0.
At the No. 2 spot for the Aggies, Dantley Young and Jonas Tyden were unable to keep pace with Idaho State’s Alex Danilkovich and Alan Mohadeb, losing 8-4.
In singles competition the Aggies struggled, winning only two of six matches.
At the No. 1 spot, Zelle pushed his singles losing streak to six matches in a frustrating 6-4, 6-2 loss to Pijoan. At No. 2 for the Aggies, Pinho continued to slump as well, losing his fifth in a row, 7-6, 6-1, to Danilkovich.
In the No. 3 spot, Young pushed Garces to three sets before losing, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. At No. 4, Marchant won the first set against Ruwo in convincing fashion, 6-1. However, Ruwo came back and won the second set, 6-1, and forcing a third set which he also won, 6-1.
With the team match already lost, the Aggies’ No. 5 and 6 spots took the courts with little to salvage other than pride – and that they did.
Tyden, playing at the No. 5, made quick work of Mohadeb, winning easily, 6-1, 6-0. At No. 6, Banks came through rather easily as well, beating Idaho State’s Brian Richman, 6-1, 6-3.
Both the men’s and women’s teams now turn their attention to the upcoming WAC tournament in Boise. The tournament begins Thursday, Apr. 20, and will be played at the Appleton Tennis Center on the campus of Boise State University. Times and opponents are yet to be determined.
-jhislop@cc.usu.edu