March 18, 2011
SAN DIEGO - The No. 67 Purdue men's tennis team advanced to the finals of the San Diego Invitational after knocking off San Diego State, 4-3, on Friday at the Aztec Tennis Center.
"I think our guys really figured it out today in doubles," assistant coach Brandon Lenfert said. "We started to be more aggressive and take advantage of some opportunities. The guys took a step forward in doubles and hopefully we can build on that. Singles also battled hard. It is a good win for us at a nationally recognized program, especially on their home courts. We are really excited about playing San Diego tomorrow. It is a big step forward for our guys and we are looking forward to getting better."
Purdue (9-5) jumped out to an early lead after picking up the doubles point. Freshmen Aaron Dujovne and Mark Kovacs were first to finish as they won at No. 3, 8-4. San Diego State leveled the doubles score with a victory at No. 1 over Szymon Tatarczyk and Pawel Poziomski, 8-5. Then, with the point on the line, senior Eric Ramos and sophomore Krisztian Krocsko won at No. 2, 8-6, to give the Boilermakers momentum heading into singles play.
San Diego State (2-10) quickly tied the match after defeating Kovacs at No. 3, 6-1, 6-2. The Boilermakers retook the lead after Ramos capped off his solid afternoon with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 4. Purdue then clawed its way within a point of the victory when Krocsko won at No. 2, 6-2, 6-4.
The Aztecs closed the gap and brought the team score to 3-2 with a win at No. 5 over Dujovne, 6-2, 7-5. However, the Boilermakers proved too much as Poziomski clinched the win at No. 6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1. San Diego State wrapped up the match with a win at No. 1 over Tatarczyk, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, to draw the final score to 4-3.
Purdue advances to play No. 20 San Diego in the finals of the San Diego Invitational. The Toreros advance to the championship match after knocking off East Tennessee State, 4-3. Purdue and San Diego will battle at 5 p.m. ET.