ASU Men’s Tennis: Sun Devils cruise to victory over New Mexico

(Photo: Mason Kern/WCSN)

The Arizona State men’s tennis team defeated the New Mexico Lobos 4-1 on Saturday afternoon at the Whiteman Tennis Center to improve to 11-6 on the season in a match that took just under two hours.

ASU began the day by winning the doubles point. ASU’s duo of Tim Ruehl and Michael Geerts defeated New Mexico’s duo of Ricky Hernandez Tong and Dominic West 6-2.

Makey Rakotomalala and Andrea Bolla then defeated New Mexico’s duo of  Bart van Leijsen and Jorge Escuitia in comeback fashion to win the doubles point. Rakotomalala and Bolla were down 2-1 before they came back to defeat van Leijsen and Escuitia 6-3 to give ASU the 1-0 lead in the match.

“We played good in doubles,” Rakotomalala said. “We had such good energy.”

The success continued for the Sun Devils into singles play. The team quickly won three of its four completed singles matches to seal the victory.

Senior captain Michael Geerts defeated Bart van Leijsen 6-3, 6-4 to improve to 11-1 in his last 12 singles matches. Makey Rakotomalala then dispatched Jorge Escuitia 6-0, 6-4 before Andrea Bolla closed out the match for ASU with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of New Mexico’s Stephen Holis.

Benjamin Hannestad was the only Sun Devil defeated on Saturday. He dropped his match in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 to New Mexico’s Ricky Hernandez Tong. The other two singles matches were suspended after Bolla clinched the match.

ASU assistant coach Michael Kokta was pleased overall with his team’s performance.

“I don’t think we played our best match,” Kokta said. “But we got a win and at the end of the day that’s the job we’re supposed to do.”

Freshman Will Kirkman echoed Kokta.

“They (New Mexico) came, and we did what we needed to do,” Kirkman said.

The Sun Devils face Utah in their next match next Saturday in Salt Lake City at 12:00 p.m. MST.

Results

Doubles:

1. Michael Geerts and Tim Ruehl (ASU) def. Bart van Leijsen and Jorge Escuitia (NM) 6-2
2. Andrea Bolla/Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. Ricky Hernandez Tong/Dominic West (NM) 6-3
3. Benjamin Hannestad/Will Kirkman (ASU) vs. Stepan Holis/Sean Baklini (NM) | 5-3, unf.

Order of finish: 1,2

Singles:

1. Michael Geerts (ASU) def. Bart van Leijsen (NM) 6-3, 6-4
2. Ricky Hernandez Tong (NM) def. Benjamin Hannestad (ASU) 6-1, 6-4
3. Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. Jorge Escuitia (NM) 6-0, 6-4
4. Tim Ruehl (ASU) vs. Dominic West (NM) 6-2, 5-3, unf.
5. Andrea Bolla (ASU) def. Stepan Holis (NM) 6-3, 6-4
6. Will Kirkman (ASU) vs. Sean Baklini (NM) 6-2, 6-6, unf.

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3, 5

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