(Photo: Patricia Vicente/WCSN)
The No. 33 ranked Arizona State men’s tennis team fell 4-1 to No. 16 USC in a Sunday afternoon duel at the Whiteman Tennis Center in Tempe.
The Sun Devils lost the doubles point to start off the day’s event after having won it Friday when the team fell to No. 2 UCLA. However, even after the loss to the Trojans, ASU coach Matt Hill noted he wasn’t disappointed with the performance and actually approved of their recent play.
“We feel good about the doubles,” Hill said after ASU’s loss to USC. “We like what we’re seeing from them. We just really want to get [the players’] focus level up.”
The Sun Devils dropped both of their doubles matches against the ranked pairings of USC’s No. 10 Brandon Holt and Riley Smith on court one and No. 12 Jack Jaede and Laurens Verboven on court two.
Going into singles play down 1-0, the Sun Devils battled the Trojans, with almost each match tight. The Trojans though proved too much for the Sun Devils, with sophomore Benjamin Hannestad the only Sun Devil to win his singles match.
No. 72 Hannestad defeated his third ranked opponent this season, taking down No. 84 Daniel Cuckierman 6-4, 6-4. He gave the Sun Devils the much-needed point but that as was all they could muster on this day.
“They have to be better, point by point,” Hill said.
The Sun Devils will take on their in-state rival University of Arizona on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Territorial Cup. It will also be the last conference match of the season and senior night for Michaël Geerts.
Doubles
1. Brandon Holt/Riley Smith (USC) def. Michaël Geerts/Tim Ruehl (ASU) 6-2
2. Jack Jaede/Laurens Verboven (USC) def. Makey Rakotomalala/Andrea Bolla (ASU) 6-3 *
3. Benjamin Hannestad/Will Kirkman (ASU) vs. Jake DeVine/Tanner Smith (USC) 5-2 [susp.]
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3 (susp.)
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles
1. Michaël Geerts (ASU) vs. Brandon Holt (USC) 4-6, 7-5, 2-1 [susp.]
2. Benjamin Hannestad (ASU) vs. Daniel Cukierman (USC) 6-4, 6-4
3. Laurens Verboven (USC) def. Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) 7-5, 6-4 ^
4. Tim Ruehl (ASU) vs. Thibault Forget (USC) 6-2, 2-6, 2-1 [susp.]
5. Riley Smith (USC) def. Andrea Bolla (ASU) 7-5, 6-3
6. Jake DeVine (USC) def. Will Kirkman (ASU) 7-6, 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 5, 3, 6, 1 [susp.] & 4 [susp.]
^Clinched the overall match
