ASU Men’s Tennis: No. 26 Sun Devils fall to No. 4 Ohio State in Southern California

(Photo: Mason Kern/ WCSN) 

In its third Pac-12 match of 2018, the No. 26 Arizona State Sun Devils fell 4-2 to No. 4 Ohio State, as the Sun Devils traveled to Southern California to face off against the Buckeyes. After being rained out against California midway through the singles play on Mar. 10, this was the second complete conference match ASU completed.

This was the first meeting between the Sun Devils and Buckeyes for the first time since 1986. The Sun Devils had split the doubles point in their two Pac-12 matches before Wednesday, but the Buckeyes struck first and clinched the very important point leading into singles play.

The Sun Devils had to face plenty of ranked competition for singles play such as Ohio State’s No. 2 Mikael Torpegaard, No. 35 Kyle Seelig, No. 41 J.J. Wolf and No. 65 John McNally. Meanwhile, the ranked Sun Devils countered with two of their three ranked players competing, including No. 61 Michaël Geerts and No. 116 Makey Rakotomalala, but ASU was without No. 51 Benjamin Hannestad who didn’t participate.

While down 3-1 to the Buckeyes, ASU senior captain Michaël Geerts decided to take matters into his own hands and defeated  No. 2 ranked Mikael Torpegaard 7-6, 7-5 to earn a very much needed point for the Sun Devils.

ASU’s Makey Rakotomalala faced off against Ohio’s J.J. Wolf and tried to salvage another point for his team, but ultimately fell 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. This win for Wolf clinched the victory for the No. 4 Buckeyes.

This weekend the Sun Devils will be in Palm Desert, Calif. participating in the BNP Paribas Open Challenge at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Following the tournament, ASU will return to Tempe for a home contest against New Mexico.

 

No. 4 Ohio State 4 – 2 No. 26 Arizona State

Doubles:

1. Geerts/Ruehl (ASU) vs. Wolf/Joyce (OSU) | 5-5, (unfinished)
2. Mcnally/Torpegaard (OSU) defeated Rakotomalala/Bolla (ASU) | 6-4
3. Mendez/Tubert (OSU) defeated Dodens/Wright (ASU) | 6-1

+ Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1 (unfinished)

Singles:

1. No. 61 Michaël Geerts (ASU) defeated No. 2 Mikael Torpegaard (OSU) | 7-6, 7-5
2. No. 41 J.J. Wolf (OSU) defeated No. 116 Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) | 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 *
3. Andrea Bolla (ASU) vs. No. 65 John McNally (OSU) |  4-6, 6-7, 1-1 (unfinished)
4. Tim Ruehl  (ASU) defeated Tim Seibert (OSU) | 7-5, 6-0
5. No. 35 Kyle Seelig (OSU) defeated Pierre Louis Dodens  (ASU) | 6-0, 7-5
6. Martin Joyce (OSU) defeated Will Kirkman (ASU) | 6-1, 6-3

+ Order of Finish: 6, 1, 5, 4, 2, 3 (unfinished)

* = clinched

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