Open Announce

Holis Stars for UNM at ITA Mountain Regionals

DENVER, Colo. — Last year at the ITA Mountain Regionals, The University of New Mexico’s Ricky Hernandez Tong won the singles title, UNM’s first Mountain Region champion in 15 years.  Stepan Holis almost made it back-to-back titles.  Holis was magnificent all weekend in Denver at the ITA Mountain Regionals, winning four singles matches, getting as far as the seminfinals, and he also made the semifinals in doubles as well, highlighting the week for the men’s tennis team.

Holis, ranked No. 90 in the preseason national rankings, looked every bit as good if not better in dispatching players from Denver, Weber State, New Mexico State and Boise State in rolling into the semifinals.  He opened with a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of Denver’s Fernandez Del Valle and then he continued on, dropping a solitary game in a 6-0, 6-1 pasting of Weber State’s Paul Ohde.

That moved him into the round of 16, where he faced a familiar foe is New Mexico State’s Louis Menard, but Holis dominated again, winning 6-4, 6-1.  That pushed him in the quarters, facing conference foe Kyryll Kryvchun, and Holis scored a 6-3, 6-4 win.  In the semifinals, Holis took the opening set against Sean Hill 6-3, but he couldn’t close it out and get to the finals, dropping the match 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Holis led the way in singles, but Rual Dobai was solid as well, getting to the round of 16.  Dobai won three matches, starting in the round of 128, winning a pair of three set matches along the way.  He faced Kryvchun in the round of 16, falling in a tight battle 7-5, 7-6.

“It was a great week of learning and I feel like everyone who traveled made some serious strides forwards in their games,” said head coach Ben Dunbar.  “Stepan making the semifinals of both events is very impressive and the margins at that level is so small that he was in the match, both his singles and doubles matches, but couldn’t quite get through.”

Of note, Facundo Bermejo lost his opening round match and than won his was into the consolation draw semifinals, going 4-2 along the way.

In doubles, Holis teamed with Alex Maggs, and they defeated Montana 8-3 in the round of 32 and Boise State (and Kryvchun again) 8-6.  That put UNM into the quarterfinals against host Denver, and the Lobo tandem won that one 8-6 to move to the semifinals where their run ended at the hands of another host Denver squad, losing 6-4, 6-4.

Dobia and Jake Tronsdon also won their opening match in doubles and advanced to the round of 16.

“I am proud of our guys for the support they showed each other, we truly feel together,” said Dunbar.  “We are excited for a few days off first and foremost and then to get back to the grind and improve. We know the dual match season is on the horizon and we will do everything in our power to get fitter, stronger and more resilient, while improving some X’s and O’s on the court.” 
Singles Main Draw: 
R128: Pudney (Montana) def Maggs 6-2 6-3 
R128: Motuzas (Nevada) def Trondson 6-4 6-3
R128: Dobai def Grovas (Utah) 6-0 6-1 

R64 Buitrago (NMSU) def Bermejo 7-5 7-6 
R64 Dobai def Ridemar (Idaho St) 3-6 6-3 6-1
R64 Holis def Fernandez Del Valle (Denver) 6-1 6-2

R32: Dobai def Barnett (BYU) 7-6 3-6 6-2 
R32: Holis def Ohde (Weber State) 6-0 6-1 

R16: Kryvchun (Boise State) def Dobai 7-5 7-6 
R16: Holis def Menard (NMSU) 6-4 6-1 

QF: Holis def Kryvchun (Boise State) 6-3 6-4

SF: Hill (BYU) def Holis  3-6 6-2 6-1

Doubles Main Draw: 
R32 – Dobai/Trondson def Ball/Leite (BYU) 8-5 
R32 – Holis/Maggs def Korkh/Shaffery (Montana) 8-3

R16: Hill/Vereau (BYU) def Trondson/Dobai 8-6 
R16: Holis/Maggs def Kryvchun/Bayldon (Boise State) 8-6 

QF: Holis/Maggs def Krulig/Del Valle (Denver) – 8-6

SF:  Davis/Summers (DU) def Holis/Maggs – 6-4 6-4

Backdraw Consolation Draw:
R64: Bermejo def Aynedjian (North Dakota) 6-3 6-4 

R32: Bermejo def Tran (BYU) 6-1 6-1 
R32: Ruiz (USU) def Trondson 6-4 6-4
R32: Buth (North Dakota) def Maggs 7-6 5-7 10-7 

R16: Bermejo def Bo Han Li (Weber State) 6-1 6-2

R8: Bermejo def Crespo (DU) 7-6 5-7 10-8

R4: Evrard def Bermejo 6-1 6-2

Consolation extra match: Maggs def Gajardo (BYU) 2-6 6-3 10-5