(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
TEMPE- Anytime Arizona State and Arizona meet, there is always extra motivation to go out on the courts and put on a strong showing, especially for the Sun Devils on their senior day.
Before the match, two players were honored, Nicola Cigna and Matic Dimic.
Cigna, the Bra, Italy native, has played all four of his seasons in Tempe and has gradually improved in each of them. Dimic, who previously played at Alabama, now a graduate student for the Sun Devils has also been effective amassing a 5-4 singles record.
When these two teams met earlier in the season at the Diablos Invitational tournament in March, the No. 11 Wildcats ran wild over the Sun Devils picking up all four points and winning the tournament.
For Saturday’s match, the Wildcats were able to add “extra reinforcements” with Colton Smith being back in the lineup. Smith currently the No. 4 ranked singles player in the country missed the Diablos Invitational tournament due to playing on the ATP tour at Indian Wells. Smith went into the match with an 18-2 record.
The Whiteman Tennis Center was almost at maximum capacity for this match as there were a variety of spectators there for many reasons, some to honor the seniors, many Wildcats fans were in attendance to watch Colton Smith, but above all the Tempe faithful wanted a solid tennis match and they got one.
To start the match, the Sun Devils looked to pick up momentum early on with Nicola Cigna and Roi Ginat. They were able to pick up the first game in the set through teamwork and smart shot placement but from there, the Wildcats’ Jay Friend and Eric Padgham, the No. 57 ranked doubles team in the nation were able to cruise to a (6-3) set victory on the first doubles court.
The second court did not fare much better for the Sun Devils’ Mikey Anderson and Bor Artnak as the No. 31 ranked doubles team of Colton Smith and Inaki Cabrera Bello had its way with the Sun Devils, showing poise throughout the match with an immense amount of slice on shots and superb play at the net as the Wildcats coasted and picked up the doubles point.
The No. 3 doubles match went unfinished with Mathis Bondaz and Matic Dimic who were ahead (5-4) of Filip Gustafsson and Casper Christensen.
At the end of the doubles matches spectators at Whiteman fled to the first court to see what all of the hype was about with Colton Smith. Smith didn’t disappoint.
Fans were impressed with the shot selection of Smith, how hard he hit forehands, and his ability to minimize errors. The No.37 ranked Bor Artnak was the Sun Devil who had to take on the beast from down south. Artnak was up for the challenge. Throughout the match, Artnak tried to minimize Smith’s pace using a variety of different shots and finding ways to manipulate angles on the court.
Ultimately it was Smith coming away with the victory (6-4,6-4). Many fans were impressed with Smith but in the end, were pleased with the effort Artnak showed throughout the match. Artnak had a fantastic sophomore campaign, leaving fans hopeful that his junior season can be jubilant.
On the fifth and sixth singles courts, Tanner Povey and Roi Ginat were left in the dust as Casper Christensen defeated Ginat (6-3, 6-4), and Alexander Rozen took down Tanner Povey (6-2, 6-4).
With these three results, the Wildcats picked up a hard-fought win in Tempe. Although they swept away the Sun Devils once again, this time, it felt like the Sun Devils showed more fight than they did a month ago even with the addition of Smith for the Wildcats.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 21-4 on the season. The Territorial Cup was their last match of the season, and they appear to be in prime shape as they get ready to participate in the Big 12 Championships in Waco, Texas.
With the loss, the Sun Devils capped off the 2024-25 regular season with a 12-10 record and a 7-4 home record on the season. This was also their last match of the regular season.
With the Sun Devils now losing back-to-back matches, they will move forward and also turn their attention to the Big 12 Championships which start next Friday, April 18th, and will run till Sunday, April 20th.
