The University of Utah men’s tennis team lost to the #26 ranked Arizona State Sundevils 4-2 on March 26 in Tempe, Arizona.
The match was important for Utah as they aimed to improve their season record and gain momentum against a higher-ranked opponent. The loss brings the Utes’ season record to 4-13.
Utah started strong by securing the doubles point. After dropping the No. 2 doubles match, AJ Deem and Lorenzo Esquici won at No. 3, and Balthazar Huss with Dante Teramo clinched the point at No. 1 with a close tiebreak win. In singles play, Lorenzo Esquici fell in straight sets at No. 3, while AJ Deem also lost his match at No. 6.
Captain Dante Teramo brought Utah back into contention by defeating Ofek Shimanov on court one, tying the overall score at two points each. However, Balthazar Huss lost his singles match on court four, giving Arizona State a lead that was secured when Charles Frey fell in three sets on court five.
One singles match between Emmett Potter and Shu Matsuoka went unfinished after reaching a third set when the overall result had already been decided.
Looking ahead, Utah will return home to face #66 Texas Tech at George S. Eccles Tennis Center on Sunday, March 29th before traveling to Waco for an April matchup against #8 Baylor.
