ASU Men’s Tennis: Sun Devils Rally from Deficit to Defeat No. 41 San Diego

Photo: Alex Roddier/WCSN

(Photo: Alex Roddier/WCSN)

After a tough 5-2 road loss to Texas A&M on Friday, Arizona State traveled back home to face No. 41 San Diego at the Whiteman Tennis Center in Tempe on Sunday afternoon. The match was tight throughout, as ASU narrowly defeated the Toreros 4-3.

The catalyst for the Sun Devils (4-5 non-conference) in securing the victory was sophomore Andrea Bolla, who rallied from a 5-4 deficit in the third set vs. USD sophomore Nico Borter. With the overall match tied at 3-3 overall, Bolla and Borter were battling to clinch the victory for their respective teams. With his teammates cheering him on, Bolla secured a vital match point for ASU that may spearhead the program going forward.

“I didn’t play my best match,” Bolla said, “but I found a way through it. We’ve had some ups and downs, but this could be a turning point for the season.”

Entering play on Sunday, the Toreros (6-3) had won four in a row and slotted in at No. 41 in the Feb. 20 update of the Oracle/ITA rankings. ASU’s victory was its first over a ranked opponent this season.

The Sun Devils continued their dominance in doubles play as they clinched the doubles point for the seventh time this year against USD. First, it was the tandem of juniors No. 51 Dominik Kellovsky and Nathan Ponwith winning the first set 7-5. Then, graduate transfer Justin Roberts and junior Makey Rakotomalala secured the doubles point for ASU, winning their set 7-6.

ASU’s pairings have been a vital part of its success in doubles this season. The team’s other ranked duo, sophomores No. 22 Andrea Bolla and Tim Ruehl, had their match suspended at 6-6 once ASU clinched the doubles point. On the season, the Sun Devils are 7-2 in doubles play.

“We’ve got to make sure that as a staff we’re staying sharp with our doubles because it’s not as sharp as it was earlier in the year,” ASU coach Matt Hill said. “In the big moments I thought our guys played really well, and I thought that carried through singles.”

The Sun Devils are hoping that this victory will propel the team going forward as they start Pac-12 play against No. 6 Stanford on March 8 after a bye week.

“We ended as good as you could want here today,” Ponwith said. “I think everyone is starting to play better. Going into Pac-12 play, it’s going to be tough, but I feel like we are prepared and ready to go.”

With the victory, Hill earned his 100^thvictory as a Division I head coach (split between his time at South Florida and ASU). After the match, the team presented Hill with a plaque commemorating his accomplishment; after dowsing him with a bucket of water to celebrate.

“It’s fun to think back,” Hill said, “all the different teams and all the different universities I’ve coached at. I’ve worked for some incredible coaches and coached some incredible players.”

ASU’s Bay Area trip starting March 8 begins with the No. 6 Cardinal, followed by No. 40 California. Before Friday’s match, ASU had a 12-day period in-between matches, and poor weather somewhat limited its training efforts. With another extended period ahead of them, the Sun Devils will be in better shape as they head into a rigorous conference tier with a confidence boosting win over a ranked opponent.

Match Results:

ASU vs. No. 41 San Diego (4-3 win)

Doubles

No. 51 Dominik Kellovsky/Nathan Ponwith (ASU) def. Gui Osorio/Nico Borter (USD) – 7-5
Justin Roberts/Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. No. 20 Joel Gamerov/August Holmgren (USD) – 7-6^
No. 22 Tim Ruehl/Andrea Bolla (ASU) vs. David Norfeldt/Guus Koevermans (USD) – 6-6 (susp.)

Order of finish: 1, 2^, 3 (susp.)

^Clinched doubles point

Singles