(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
Tempe— Arizona State needed a literal and figurative bounce-back match against Liberty following two straight losses.
After a heartbreaking (3-4) loss to the No. 7 ranked University of San Diego, ASU sought momentum Friday night. Not only did they need to fight back on the court, but they needed to show grit mentally as well.
Mental toughness was one of the main issues for ASU in their match a week ago. “We were carrying over the frustrations from the previous game,” ASU head coach Matt Hill said after the loss last week. That was something coach Hill and his players looked to correct as they took on the unranked Liberty at the Diablos College Invitational at the Kiwanis Tennis Center.
They needed a good start, and the Sun Devils turned to their doubles teams to get on the right track and, specifically, ASU’s number one doubles team, the No. 55 ranked Matic Dimic and Bor Artnak. Artnak and Dimic had a thrilling match, outlasting Liberty’s Joaquim Almeida and Siwanat Auytayakul with a (7-5) final.
Through strong shot placement, determination, and a positive mindset, Artnak and Dimic were able to complete the job, improve to 7-3 on the season, and give the Sun Devils a much-needed first court doubles win.
Tanner Povey and Daniel Phillips, the No. 62 ranked doubles team in the nation, were quick to join in on the winning party. The tantalizing duo took down Rodrigo Santiago Arraez and Carl Roothman with a (6-3) final. With these two doubles results, this gave the Sun Devils a much needed first doubles point in hopes of winning the match.
Unfortunately, it was not all sunshine and rainbows on the doubles courts as Mathis Bondaz and Nicola Cigna’s match went down as unfinished. They were trailing (5-6) in their match on the third doubles court.
To finish the job, the Sun Devils looked to the singles courts to take the life away from the Flames. Bor Artnak, Mathis Bondaz, and Roi Ginat did just that.
ASU’s Roi Ginat was the first to finish Friday night. Ginat defeated Chase Robertson by a final score of (6-3, 6-1). With an overpowering serve and the match quickly falling out of Robertson’s hands, Ginat served as the giant for ASU.
Bor Artnak shifted back to first singles for the Sun Devils and had a tremendous first set with the Flames Joaquim Almedia by a (7-6) 2, final. The second set was nothing more than a wash as Artnak got a boost of confidence with the first set pick up and dominated to a (6-1) second set finish. Artnak has now won six consecutive matches.
To decide the match and complete the clean sweep, Mathis Bondaz defeated Carl Roothman (6-2, 6-4) in straight sets. Roothman did jump ahead in the second set, but Bondaz, with strong mental fortitude and a rock solid forehand, was able to take care of business on his terms.
The efforts of Ginat, Artnak, and Bondaz helped the Sun Devils break out the brooms and sweep away Liberty with a (4-0) match final. The Sun Devils have advanced to the second round of the Invitational and will take on the No. 29 ranked Boise State in a Saturday showdown at 10:00 am.
