ASU men's tennis improved to 5-1 on the season with a 6-1 win over New Mexico State Saturday, marking the team's fourth straight victory.
The Sun Devils won convincingly in spite of injuries to key players senior Makey Rakotomalala, the team's primary No. 2 singles player, and freshman Max McKennon, who had been playing at No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles. Additionally, senior Andrea Bolla, who forms a top-15 doubles pair in the nation with fellow senior Tim Ruehl, did not partake in doubles action.
As shorthanded as they were, the Sun Devils began the victorious effort by securing the doubles point, as they have in each match this season. Sophomore George Stoupe and senior Nathan Ponwith paired up for the first time at No. 1 doubles and won 6-3, improving their doubles records on the season to 5-0 and 5-1, respectively. Fellow first-time partners Ruehl and sophomore Jonah Wilson clinched the win at No. 3 doubles before sophomore Christian Lerby and freshman Moritz Hoffmann won at the No. 2 spot in a tiebreak.
ASU followed up that strong effort with more convincing singles play. Lerby won first at No. 5 singles, 6-3, 6-1, followed by Bolla at No. 3, who won 6-1, 7-5. Stoupe then clinched the win and improved to 5-0 in singles on the season, triumphing 7-5, 6-1 at the No. 4 spot in a tale of two sets, the first one highly contentious, the second a comfortable victory. Ponwith, the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, then won 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 1 spot to remain undefeated in singles play, followed by Ruehl at No. 2, who was playing in just his second singles match of the season.
Only Wilson, who at one point held a commanding 6-2, 4-1 lead, lost in a decisive third set super tiebreak, knocking his record down to 2-1 on the season, which he entered with no career victories.
ASU will next look to extend its winning streak versus the University of San Diego on Feb. 19.
Reach the reporter at cbreber@asu.edu and follow @carsobi on Twitter.
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