Feb. 1, 2007
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THIS WEEK IN LOBO MEN’S TENNIS: The New Mexico men’s tennis team (1-1) host their first matches of the 2007 season this weekend at the UNM Tennis Complex. Nebraska, ranked No. 63 nationally, visits first, taking on the Lobos Friday night at 6 p.m. On Sunday, UNM faces 61st-ranked Arizona at 11 a.m. Admission is free.
IN THE RANKINGS: After a nine month absence from the FILA collegiate tennis rankings, the Lobos appeared No. 73 in the Jan. 30 poll. UNM was vaulted into the rankings after blanking then-73rd-ranked BYU at the ITA Mountain Regional Playoffs and recording a solid effort against then-25th-ranked Boise State. The last time New Mexico was ranked as a team was April 25, 2006, placing No. 72.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA: The Nebraska Huskers fell two spots in the national rankings, dropping from No. 61 on Jan. 9 to 63 on Jan. 30 after a 4-0 loss to Oklahoma on their home turf. Nebraska, 1-1 overall, is led by Adrian Szatmary, who is ranked No. 78 in singles. Szatmary is 9-5 this season, including a 1-0 mark at No. 1 singles.
ARIZONA AT A GLANCE: Arizona started the 2007 season ranked No. 48 in the polls but dropped to No. 61 in the Jan. 30 seedings after a 4-1 loss at Saint Mary’s (Calif.). The Wildcats are 1-1 overall, beginning the spring with a 6-1 win at home over Northern Arizona.
Arizona, coached by former Lobo Tad Berkowitz, Claudio Christen, is led by No. 86 Claudio Christen. Christen is 4-5 overall and 1-1 at No. 1 singles. Teamed with Bruno Alcala, Christen as the best doubles record for the Wildcats at 4-1 overall and 1-1 at No. 1 doubles.
JONES JUMPING THE RANKS: Junior Max Jones earned a No. 90 preseason national ranking for singles to start the 2006-07 season. After a 7-2 record in the fall and an appearance in the ITA Mountain Regional championship match, Jones jumped to No. 73 in the Jan. 9 poll. Since starting the spring season, Jones has posted a 3-1 record at No. 1 singles and handed No. 52 Brady Crosby of Western Michigan a 6-4, 6-4 loss.
LAST TIME OUT: The New Mexico men’s tennis team upset 73rd-ranked BYU in the second match of the ITA Mountain Regional Team Playoffs.
Arranged in a dual match format, the afternoon started with singles play. Junior Kamil Pajkowski grabbed the first point with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Cassidy Mears. Sophomore Johnny Parkes closed out his match minutes later with a 6-3, 6-3 victory, improving to 3-0 in singles action this spring.
With a 2-0 lead, sophomore Miles Bugby claimed a 7-5, 6-3 win over Cale Planck, leaving New Mexico one point from a victory. Junior Chris Parkes, in his first official match as a Lobo, clinched the win, downing Jonathan Sanchez 6-0, 7-6 (4).
With a 4-0 win, the Lobos advanceD to the championship vs. 25th-ranked Boise State.
The Lobos put forth a valiant effort but the BSU team was victorious, claiming one of the 16 spots in the ITA National Indoor Championships set for Chicago, Feb. 16-18. The Broncos won, 5-0.
Juniors Max Jones and Kamil Pajkowski dropped Luke Shields and Piotr Dilaj, 8-6, at No. 1 doubles but it wasn’t enough as BSU won at No. 2 and 3 doubles.
Shields got revenge on Jones in singles action, earning a 7-6 (9), 1-0 victory after Jones retired. The Broncos’ Blake Boswell got past Pajkowski, 6-4, 6-4, leaving BSU needing just one point for the victory.
Finishing almost simultaneously, Boise State earned the win as Dilaj netted a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over sophomore Graeme Kassautzki and Clancy Shields rebounded from a first set loss to sophomore Johnny Parkes, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.