Sun Devil Men’s Tennis Stuns No. 10 San Diego Again, Extends Historic Start to 9-0
SAN DIEGO - Don’t look now, but Arizona State Men’s Tennis is making serious noise. For the second time in a week, the No. 24-ranked Sun Devils took down No. 10 San Diego, this time in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 road win that pushed their season-opening win streak to a program-best nine matches.
This one didn’t come easy. With San Diego leading 3-2 and holding the upper hand on the final two courts, it looked like the Toreros were on the verge of flipping the script.
But ASU had other plans. First, the Sun Devils clawed back to take court five.
Then, senior Mathis Bondaz delivered the kind of clutch performance that defines a season.
After dropping the first set 1-6 and trailing 2-5 in the final frame, Bondaz dug deep. He rallied to win five of the last six games, forcing a tiebreak, and then outlasted Stian Klaassen 7-6(4) to seal the match for the Sun Devils. It was a gritty, gutsy effort from a senior who refused to let his team’s unbeaten run end on his watch.
That win not only completed the upset but also kept ASU perfect on the season - a mark they didn’t reach until mid-March last year. Now, they're already at nine wins before February even begins. This is a team that’s not just hot - they’re rewriting their own expectations.
And they’re doing it the hard way. For the third straight match, ASU dropped the doubles point, putting themselves in an early hole. But once again, the singles lineup delivered.
Junior Jelani Sarr, fresh off being named Big 12 Player of the Week, continued his dominant stretch with a straight-sets win over Lambert Ruland. That marked his team-leading seventh singles victory of the season - and he’s making it look routine.
Elsewhere in singles, Niels Villard came through in a three-set battle, outlasting Adrien Berrut 6-1, 3-6, 7-5. Ofek Shimanov also picked up a point for the Sun Devils, shaking off a tight first set to roll past Vincent Marysko 7-6(5), 6-1.
Here’s how the singles action played out:
- Oliver Tarvet (USD) def. Bor Artnak (ASU) 6-2, 6-2
- Ofek Shimanov (ASU) def. Vincent Marysko (USD) 7-6(5), 6-1
- Mathis Bondaz (ASU) def. Stian Klaassen (USD) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(4)
- Manvydas Balciunas (USD) def. Shu Matsuoka (ASU) 6-4, 6-2
- Niels Villard (ASU) def. Adrien Berrut (USD) 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
- Jelani Sarr (ASU) def. Lambert Ruland (USD) 6-1, 6-4
This was the kind of win that speaks volumes about a team’s resolve. Down on the road against a top-10 opponent?
No problem. Losing the doubles point again?
They’ve been there before. It’s not always pretty, but this Sun Devil squad is finding ways to win - and that’s what makes them dangerous.
Nine up, nine down. And with each passing match, it’s getting harder to ignore what’s building in Tempe.