New York, N.Y.—The University of New Mexico men’s tennis team faced No. 15 Columbia today and fell 4-0.
In doubles play, Hayden Sabatka and Bart Van Leijsen took on Shawn Hadavi and Richard Pham at the number one position. They fell 6-2 to Columbia.
Ricky Hernandez-Tong and Jorge Escutia played together at the number three position against Eric Rubin and Miguel Alda. The two battled to four games, but could not pass Columbia. They fell 6-4 leaving the match at the number two position unfinished.
In singles play, the Lobos fought hard, but could not clinch a victory. Sabatka played at the number one position and fell a close match to Hadavi. Sabatka lost the first set 6-4 and battled back in the second, but could not top Columbia. He fell 7-5 in the second.
At the number three position, Escutia fell to Rubin 6-2, 6-1 and shortly after Augustus Ge fell 6-2, 6-4 at the number four position.
The other three matches were left unfinished once Columbia clinched the match win. Head coach Bart Scott noted the three remaining matches were being battled hard by Van Leijsen, Hernandez-Tong and Rodolfo Jauregui, it was just too slow a start to come back from against a team of this caliber.
At the number two position, Van Leijsen was battling a third set Pham. Van Leijsen fell in the first 6-2, won the second 6-3 and was tied 4-4 in the third set as the match was called.
Jauregui met the same fate at the number six position as he was competing in his third set against Columbia as well.
“Credit to Columbia,” Scott said. “They are a very well coached team and their players don’t give an inch. They have been to back-to-back sweet 16’s for a reason. When you dig a hole early like the way we did, although we showed tremendous heart and fight battling back, against a team like that it’s nearly impossible to win. We have to learn this lesson and be ready to fight against a good Monmouth team tomorrow morning.”
The Lobos take on Monmouth tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.
Lobos Fall to No. 15 Columbia
