Kelly Calligan, Assistant Photo Editor

Right now, junior Christian Groh can’t seem to do anything wrong.

After leading the San Diego State men’s tennis team to a 6-1 win by defeating UC Santa Barbara’s Nick Brotman at No. 1 singles on Sunday at the Aztec Tennis Center, Groh has now won nine straight singles matches.

His most recent victory came in beating a player who was performing well. Brotman was on a roll before he ran into Groh, having won seven straight matches himself.

“Today, I think I returned really, really well,” Groh said. “(Brotman) serves very fast. (Returning), against this type of guy, (was) very important because he comes in (to the net) all the time.”

Groh said that his singles win against No. 2 Pepperdine on Saturday elevated him.

“I feel really good,” said Groh, who has only played at the No. 1 position twice this season and won both times. “The victory (Saturday) was really huge. It gave me (confidence). It was very important because it showed (me) I could beat the really good players in tennis.”

But Groh isn’t the only Aztec on fire.

Junior Anthony Gomez has won four straight matches and also used his singles match against Pepperdine to catapult his play.

For Gomez, the change has been in mental adjustments.

“I’m playing a little smarter,” Gomez said. “I’m waiting for the right time to be aggressive. I have all the same shots; my outlook is just different.”

Gomez said that he wouldn’t have been able to beat his opponent, the Gauchos’ Elad Stern, in the beginning of the season.

“(Stern’s) a good matchup for me because he tests my patience,” Gomez said. “He’s more of a counter-puncher (and) grinding player.

“I didn’t have as much patience (in the beginning of the year). My game style was perfect for him. I would just hit myself out of shape.

“Before, I was just playing offensive tennis on every point and beating myself.”

After leading 5-3 in the first set, Gomez ended up losing the match.

But he battled back to win the next two sets and win the match, something he hasn’t done much this season.

“I would kind of mentally shut down after being up and then losing (earlier in the season),” Gomez said.

Gomez said that he has been the aggressor in his last four matches instead of letting his opponent dictate the match.

“I’m coming to the net more,” Gomez said. “(I’m) applying pressure instead of trying to win points from the backcourt every point.”

Playing at the bottom positions has helped Gomez develop into a better player.

“Sometimes playing at the four, five and six (positions) you are playing more grinding-type players,” Gomez said. “So you have a little more pressure because they are matches that (you are expected to win). It’s a good stepping stone.”

With the Mountain West Conference Championships beginning on April 27, the Aztecs will continue to use these stepping stones to gradually grow into the dangerous team they could be.