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ASU men's tennis sweeps three-game slate, women split two games

The men's tennis team extended its winning streak to eight matches, and the women's team picked up a win and a loss over the weekend

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ASU senior Andrea Bolla hits the ball across the court against Washington at the Whiteman Tennis Center in Tempe on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. ASU defeated Washington 5-2.


ASU men's tennis picked up three wins and women's tennis split two games over the weekend. Men's tennis improved to 9-1, and women's tennis now sits at 6-3.

Men

No. 21 ASU men's tennis extended its win streak to eight matches with three victories this weekend in Tempe, defeating New Mexico 4-2 and handling both Oregon and Washington 5-2 as it opened up Pac-12 play.

The Sun Devils began the homestand against Oregon on Friday, where they secured the doubles point with wins from the No. 2 pair of seniors Tim Ruehl and Makey Rakotomalala and the No. 3 duo of sophomore Jonah Wilson and freshman Moritz Hoffmann.

In singles, Rakotomalala, senior Andrea Bolla and sophomore Christian Lerby won at Nos. 4, 3 and 6, respectively. Senior Nathan Ponwith also won by retirement at No. 1 singles while leading in the second set. 

Despite the team victory, sophomore George Stoupe suffered his first loss of the year in both singles and doubles play, having previously been 6-0 in each. Ruehl also fell 7-6, 6-1 at the No. 2 singles to Oregon junior Joshua Charlton, who began the season ranked as the No. 30 player in the nation. 

The Sun Devils next faced New Mexico on Saturday, where they lost the doubles point for just the second time all season, as Bolla and Rakotomalala fell 6-4 at No. 2, while Wilson and Hoffmann fell by the same score at No. 3. 

However, ASU responded convincingly in singles, winning four of five completed matches. Ponwith, Rakotomalala and Lerby all won in straight sets at Nos. 1, 2 and 6, while Stoupe rebounded at No. 4 with a three-set comeback victory. 

Hoffmann fell at the No. 5 spot 6-2, 6-3, ASU's only loss in singles against New Mexico. 

ASU's depth shined in the final bout of the weekend against Washington on Sunday. First, it won the doubles point thanks to victories from Ponwith and Stoupe at No. 1 and Ruehl and Rakotomalala at No. 2. 

Then, the Sun Devils took victories at Nos. 3-6 singles, with Rakotomalala and Stoupe each winning tight two-set matches at Nos. 4 and 5 and Bolla and Lerby gutting out three-set victories at Nos. 3 and 6.

Ponwith fell at No. 1 for just the second time all season to Washington sophomore Clement Chidekh, who boasts an 8-1 singles record this season. Ruehl lost in three sets to Washington junior Jack Davis at No. 2, who began the season ranked No. 65 in the country.

Seven of ASU's last eight wins have come at home, where it is currently undefeated. The team will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to face Tulsa next on March 3 at 5 p.m. MST. 

Women

ASU women’s tennis shut out Wichita State on Saturday and lost to Rice 5-2 on Sunday in Houston, Texas. 

The Sun Devils started out against Wichita State with freshman Giulia Morlet and junior Domenika Turkovic defeating redshirt senior Ting-Ya Hsu and freshman Jessie Zheng 6-3.

Seniors Ilze Hattingh and Lauryn John-Baptiste lost their doubles match against redshirt seniors Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva and Marta Bellucco 6-4.

Redshirt senior Sammi Hampton and freshman Marianna Argyrokastriti defeated redshirt junior Alexandra Lazarova and redshirt freshman Natsumi Kurahashi 7-6 in a tiebreaker to give ASU the doubles point.

ASU then won three straight singles matches to secure the sweep. Argyrokastriti and Hattingh each shut out their respective opponents 6-0, 6-0, and junior Cali Jankowski won her match in straight sets.

ASU went down early to Rice as the latter team took the doubles point, with Turkovic and Morlet losing their match to senior Michaela Haet and freshman Federica Trevisan 6-3 and Hattingh and John-Baptiste also losing their match 6-3 against sophomore Maria Budin and junior Diae El Jardi.

Argyrokastriti and Hampton were the only pair to win their doubles match for ASU, defeating senior Anna Bowtell and junior Victoria Smirnova 6-4. 

Rice took a 3-0 lead after winning two singles matches, with Jankowski losing her match 6-1, 6-1 and Morlet losing hers 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Hattingh kept the match alive by winning her match against Smirnova 7-5, 1-6, 6-4. However, Rice captured the win when Trevisan defeated John-Baptiste 6-0, 1-6, 7-6.

ASU and Rice split the two remaining matches, with Hampton losing her singles match and Argyrokastriti winning hers.

ASU will play next against Oregon on March 5 in Tempe at 1:30 p.m. MST.


Reach the reporters at lhertz@asu.edu and cbreber@asu.edu and follow @laurenrachell_  and @carsobi on Twitter.

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