SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The No. 27 Sun Devils (13-6, 3-3 Pac-12) snapped their three-match losing streak with a 4-2 victory over Utah (15-9, 1-5 Pac-12) Friday afternoon at the George Eccles Tennis Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The win improves ASU's conference record to 3-3 ahead of the squad's final match against Arizona next weekend.
The Maroon and Gold got off to a slow start giving up the doubles point to the Utes to head into singles competition trailing 1-0. ASU then came roaring back with singles wins on courts two, three, five and six. George Stoupe's match on court four went unfinished in the third set.
Doubles
Makey Rakotomalala/George Stoupe got things going early on for the Sun Devils with a 6-2 win over Utah's Franco Capalbo/Luis Flores on court two. On court three, Max McKennon/Christian Lerby traded blows with their opponents but were defeated 4-6. It then narrowed down to court one where Nathan Ponwith/Tim Ruehl made Utah fight for each point, but ultimately fell short of the victory with a final score of 3-6.
Singles
Rakotomallala carried his doubles momentum into singles play, finishing first on court two and defeating Utah's Geronimo Busleiman 6-4, 6-4. Ruehl and McKennon quickly followed, finding victory on courts three and five. Ruehl was dominant over Slava Shainyan, finishing in just two sets with a final match score of 7-5, 6-1. Although falling to Mathias Gavelin 3-6 in the first set of his match, McKennon fired back with a 6-4 win in the second set and clinched the win in an exciting 6-0 third set sweep. The final clinching point came from Lerby on court six as he took his match to the wire in three sets. Lerby came out on top over Bruno Krenn 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4. Stoupe's match went unfinished in the third set due to the clinch.
Up next
ASU welcomes rival Arizona to Tempe for the final home match of the season Saturday April 17 at 2:00 p.m. MST. The Sun Devils then head into the Pac-12 Championships in San Diego, Calif. on Friday April 23.
4/9/2021 at Salt Lake City
(George S. Eccles Tennis Center)
#27 Arizona State 4, Utah 2
Singles competition
1. Franco Capalbo (UTAH) def. #92 Nathan Ponwith (ASU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
2. Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. Geronimo Busleiman (UTAH) 6-4, 6-4
3. Tim Ruehl (ASU) def. Slava Shainyan (UTAH) 7-5, 6-1
4. Francisco Bastias (UTAH) vs. George Stoupe (ASU) 3-6, 7-5, 4-4, unfinished
5. Max McKennon (ASU) def. Mathias Gavelin (UTAH) 3-6, 6-4, 6-0
6. Christian Lerby (ASU) def. Bruno Krenn (UTAH) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Francisco Bastias/Slava Shainyan (UTAH) def. Nathan Ponwith/Tim Ruehl (ASU) 6-3
2. Makey Rakotomalala/George Stoupe (ASU) def. Franco Capalbo/Luis Flores (UTAH) 6-2
3. Mathias Gavelin/Geronimo Busleiman (UTAH) def. Christian Lerby/Max McKennon (ASU) 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,5,1,6)
The Maroon and Gold got off to a slow start giving up the doubles point to the Utes to head into singles competition trailing 1-0. ASU then came roaring back with singles wins on courts two, three, five and six. George Stoupe's match on court four went unfinished in the third set.
Doubles
Makey Rakotomalala/George Stoupe got things going early on for the Sun Devils with a 6-2 win over Utah's Franco Capalbo/Luis Flores on court two. On court three, Max McKennon/Christian Lerby traded blows with their opponents but were defeated 4-6. It then narrowed down to court one where Nathan Ponwith/Tim Ruehl made Utah fight for each point, but ultimately fell short of the victory with a final score of 3-6.
Singles
Rakotomallala carried his doubles momentum into singles play, finishing first on court two and defeating Utah's Geronimo Busleiman 6-4, 6-4. Ruehl and McKennon quickly followed, finding victory on courts three and five. Ruehl was dominant over Slava Shainyan, finishing in just two sets with a final match score of 7-5, 6-1. Although falling to Mathias Gavelin 3-6 in the first set of his match, McKennon fired back with a 6-4 win in the second set and clinched the win in an exciting 6-0 third set sweep. The final clinching point came from Lerby on court six as he took his match to the wire in three sets. Lerby came out on top over Bruno Krenn 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4. Stoupe's match went unfinished in the third set due to the clinch.
Up next
ASU welcomes rival Arizona to Tempe for the final home match of the season Saturday April 17 at 2:00 p.m. MST. The Sun Devils then head into the Pac-12 Championships in San Diego, Calif. on Friday April 23.
4/9/2021 at Salt Lake City
(George S. Eccles Tennis Center)
#27 Arizona State 4, Utah 2
Singles competition
1. Franco Capalbo (UTAH) def. #92 Nathan Ponwith (ASU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
2. Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. Geronimo Busleiman (UTAH) 6-4, 6-4
3. Tim Ruehl (ASU) def. Slava Shainyan (UTAH) 7-5, 6-1
4. Francisco Bastias (UTAH) vs. George Stoupe (ASU) 3-6, 7-5, 4-4, unfinished
5. Max McKennon (ASU) def. Mathias Gavelin (UTAH) 3-6, 6-4, 6-0
6. Christian Lerby (ASU) def. Bruno Krenn (UTAH) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Francisco Bastias/Slava Shainyan (UTAH) def. Nathan Ponwith/Tim Ruehl (ASU) 6-3
2. Makey Rakotomalala/George Stoupe (ASU) def. Franco Capalbo/Luis Flores (UTAH) 6-2
3. Mathias Gavelin/Geronimo Busleiman (UTAH) def. Christian Lerby/Max McKennon (ASU) 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,5,1,6)