Box Score: UCI
Box Score: Pepperdine
MALIBU, CALIF.—The University of New Mexico men’s tennis squad played a double header today in Malibu. The Lobos upset No. 70 UC Irvine to start off the day, but could not keep the momentum going and fell to No. 43 Pepperdine later in the day.
In the match against UC Irvine, Bart Van Leijsen competed with teammate Augustus Ge for the first time this season at the number three position. The pair quickly topped Tyler Pham and Jonathon Hammel 6-3.
At the number two position, Jorge Escutia and Ricky Hernandez-Tong fell to Sebastian Heim and Nico Martens 6-2 shortly after.
The doubles point was left up to the pair at the number one position. Hayden Sabatka teamed up with Rodolfo Jauregui for the first time this season as they took on Jonathon Poon and Justin Agbayani. The two defeated UC Irvine 6-4 to clinch the doubles point for New Mexico.
In singles play, Hernandez-Tong made quick work of his match, defeating Agbayani 6-3, 6-2 and putting the Lobos up two against UC Irvine.
Michael Tran battled hard at the number six position against Hammel, but could not clinch a win. Van Leijsen put up a point for the Lobos when he defeated UC Irvine 6-4, 6-4 at the number two positon.
Ge and Sabatka both fell to their opponents after two tough sets of play, leaving the score tied 3-3.
Escutia was last on the court, playing against Pham to a long three set match. Escutia won the first set 6-3, but lost the second in a close 5-7. In the third set, he gained momentum and beat Pham 6-2, winning his match and clinching the match point for New Mexico.
The Lobos took on No. 43 Pepperdine for the second match of the day and lost what was an “unreal” match according to head coach Bart Scott.
Doubles pair Hernandez-Tong and Escutia were first to finish, but they lost 6-3 to Pedro Iamachkine and Lautaro Pane.
Sabatka and Jauregui teamed up again to take on the No. 17 doubles team in the nation, and they won. The duo topped Pepperdine’s Guilherme Hadlich and Gabriel Sidney 6-4. They competed at the number one position.
The Lobos lost the doubles point in a very tight tiebreaker match. Van Leijsen and Ge fell to Jack Van Slyke and Tom Hill 7-6 (8-6).
In singles play, at the number one position, Sabatka defeated Hadlich. After a close tiebreaking first set where Sabatka won 7-6 (7-5), he finished the match winning the second set 6-3.
This would be the only singles match that the Lobos would win, leaving two matches unfinished when the fell the Pepperdine 4-1.
“The boys laid it all on the line for the Lobo Nation tonight,” said head coach Bart Scott. “After a hard fought, much needed win over UCI in the morning, we came back in a hostile environment and played our tails off. I’m really proud of the fight. Things are starting to click, we just have to keep working day in and day out and believe in the process.”
The Lobos take on Columbia next when the head to New York February 19.