Men's Tennis Races Past Lamar in Opener 6-1
LUBBOCK, Texas — The UNM men’s tennis team opened its 2019 season in fine fashion, getting six straight set singles wins, and adding the doubles point as well as New Mexico defeated the Lamar Cardinals 6-1 in the season opening match for both teams. The match was played at Texas Tech, and both teams will face the Red Raiders on Sunday, Lamar at 11 a.m. and New Mexico at 2:30 p.m.
The Lobos were paced by Ricky Hernandez Tong and Dominic West, who both won a pair of matches, including their opening doubles matches. Hernandez Tong teamed with Stepan Holis at No. 1 to win 6-3, but the Lobos dropped No. 2 doubles so the opening point came down to a tiebreak at No. 3 doubles. With West at No. 3 doubles teaming with newcomer Facundo Bermejo, the Lobo tandem won in a tiebreaker 7-2 over Brock Lauer and Joshua Taylor.
In singles it was nearly all UNM. West made quick work of Patrick Fleischhauer 6-1, 6-2, and then No. 23 ranked Hernandez Tong won 6-1, 6-3 over Axel Vila Antuna, giving UNM a 3-0 lead. THe Lobos then officially clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-2 win by Bermejo at No. 6 singles. Nicolas Prieto made it 5-0 with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles.
The shutout ended with Karlo Divkovic lost 6-4, 6-3 to Nicolas Maye, but that was the only point Lamar could muster. The match ended at 6-1 when Holis won 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) over Joshua Taylor.