Unfortunately for the ASU men's tennis team, close only counts in horseshoes and golf.
The Sun Devils suffered two 4-3 losses this weekend at the hands of USC and UCLA.
ASU, ranked No. 18 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, fell behind 1-0 early on Friday after losing two of three doubles matches to No. 6 USC.
And although the Sun Devils lost, sophomore Matt Brooklyn did manage to upset Robert Farah, the No. 7 player in the nation. Brooklyn controlled the match and won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
The Sun Devils won three of the six singles matches but failed to make up the one-point deficit.
ASU junior T.J. Bellama said the loss in doubles was a setback but that the Sun Devils still could have won the match.
The next day, ASU followed up with an equally exciting meeting with No. 5 UCLA but lost 4-3, which dropped ASU's overall record to 14-4.
Bellama said the close loss to USC the day before didn't affect his team against the Bruins.
"It didn't matter," Bellama said. "You have to have a short memory and forget about that one and play who's next on the schedule."
The Sun Devils again lost two of the three doubles matches, which were closely contested.
"Losing the doubles point in this match was the same as every match," Bellama said. "It doesn't matter until the end, and if you play well in singles you can overcome it."
Brooklyn and Bellama paired in doubles for ASU's only doubles win. The duo held a late lead in the match before being taken to a tiebreaker.
They fell behind early in the tiebreaker but rallied to take the match.
In singles, the action was just as fast and furious, with many lead changes, tiebreakers and split sets.
Andres Arango led the Sun Devils in singles with an upset victory over Holden Seguso at the No. 2 position. Arango won in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
Brooklyn, playing at the No. 1 position, was the Sun Devils' last chance for victory but was defeated 3-6, 6-3, 4-6 in the day's clinching match.
Consecutive defeats were not the way ASU hoped to head into next week's season finale against UA.
"I don't know what happened," Bellama said after the loss to UCLA. "That's a good question, and I need to figure it out."
Women lose third straight
The ASU women's tennis team's venture to Southern California concluded with two losses as well.
The No. 14 Sun Devils started the weekend with a 5-2 loss USC on Friday.
Sophomore Nadia Abdala earned both of the Sun Devils points on the day with an upset win in doubles and a win in singles.
Abdala paired with her sister, junior Laila Abdala, to upset the No. 6 doubles team in the nation of Amanda Fink and Gabriela Niculescu.
Abdala followed the doubles win with a 1-6, 6-1, 2-0 victory after Trojan Lindsey Nelson retired in the third set.
Still, the Sun Devils lost by an identical score the last time they met USC.
"We didn't play nearly as well this weekend as we did at home," ASU coach Sheila McInerney said.
ASU beat UCLA 4-3 in late February but failed to complete the season sweep.
Not only did the Sun Devils lose, they were blown out. ASU lost every doubles and singles match in the 7-0 shutout.
"UCLA played really well," McInerney said. "We didn't have the resiliency that we've had through most of the season."
ASU dropped to 13-7 on the season and 4-4 in Pac-10 play.
Reach the reporter at: todonnel@asu.edu.
