New Mexico men’s tennis was dealt another rare home loss Sunday against Boise State at the McKinnon Family Tennis Center.
The men’s tennis team has been automatic at home with a perfect 9-0 record. After losing 4-3 to Utah State on Friday, the team got off to a tough start on Sunday against Boise State.
Head coach Bart Scott said Augustus Ge was suffering from pain in his foot prior to the match and was held out of doubles competition, causing the lineup to shuffle around.
Each doubles match was extended to seven games, as the schools split the first two matches. Bart Van Leijsen and Michael Tran fell, 6-7, in a tiebreaker, which awarded the doubles point to Boise State.
Scott said the teams were very evenly matched, and the victory was there for either team to take. He said the match was littered with tiebreakers and third sets, but it definitely hurt losing the doubles point and later dropping two singles matches in straight sets.
“If you want to win in this league, you have to bring it every single match,” he said. “If both teams have that, then it comes down to execution. They just executed better than we did.”
Even though it is just one of four points needed to earn a team victory, the doubles point seemed to come back to haunt New Mexico. The schools engaged in a total of six tiebreakers throughout the day and four of the matches were extended to a third set.
Boise State struck first in singles competition, knocking out Ricky Hernandez-Tong in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0 to put the Broncos up 2-0.
Van Leijsen avoided a tiebreaker, overcoming being down a break in the second set to beat Thomas Tenreiro, 6-4, 7-5 to pull the Lobos within 1-2 in the team score.
Hayden Sabatka played his opponent, Brian Foley, about as even as possible. Sabatka climbed out of a 2-5 hole in the second set, but ended up on the wrong side of two tiebreakers, losing 7-6, both times.
“We were exchanging breaks back and forth,” Sabatka said. “I was right there in the tiebreaker. I had my chances, I just didn’t convert them.”
Even down 3-1, things looked promising for the Lobos. Michael Tran and Ge both won their first sets and Jorge Escutia picked himself up after losing his first to win a second set tiebreak and force a third set against his opponent.
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Escutia was unable to extend play though, losing to Toby Mitchell. The loss gave Boise State a 4-1 team victory and left the other matches unfinished.
Tran, competing at the number six position, had opened a 3-0 lead in the third set. Scott said it was great to see Tran play that way. He said nobody has solidified that spot, but he is one of three solid players that compete for it.
“The guys have taught me a lot, what we’re supposed to do and how to play in a team setting,” Tran said. “I just learned to enjoy it and I feel a lot more comfortable now.”
New Mexico, back at .500 with a 13-13 record, will travel to San Diego State in another conference matchup on Friday. The team will then return Sunday to face Tulsa in Albuquerque at noon.
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
