CHAMPIONS!! Lobos Clinch MW Title with 4-1 Win
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Stepan Holis, one of four underclassmen in the lineup, took a three-set victory at No. 3 singles, giving New Mexico a 4-1 win over San Diego State, and with it, the 2019 Mountain West regular season title. The Lobos clinched the title in what turned into a perfect ending on senior day for Ricky Hernandez Tong, who won both his singles and doubles matches on the day.
The regular season title was UNM’s 13th overall, and seventh as a member of the Mountain West. UNM won outright Mountain West titles in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2015, and the Lobos can win the outright title with a win on Saturday at Air Force or a Utah State loss to Boise State in Boise on Saturday.
The win pushed UNM’s record to 11-6 overall and 6-0 in the Mountain West. It also was the seventh straight win for UNM, and the teams’ 10th win in the last 11 matches. San Diego State dropped to 12-9 overall and 3-3 in the league.
The day started with a senior day ceremony in which Ricky Hernandez Tong was honored, along with outgoing trainer Ashley Kaldhusdal. Hernandez Tong then ended up in the key match of doubles. With he doubles point equal at one after Dominic West and Facundo Bermejo picked up their 10th straight doubles win.
Hernandez Tong and Stepan Holis were down early 2-1, and then bounced back for a 3-2 and 4-3 lead. Up 5-4 and with Holis serving at 40-15, UNM had three set points and couldn’t capitalize on any of them, tying the set at 5-5. Undeterred, the tandem broke right back at 40-30 to go up 6-5, and then on a fifth set point, they nailed down the win after a return went long, and UNM was up 1-0.
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— New Mexico Lobos (@UNMLOBOS) April 14, 2019
And with three of the league’s strongest players at 1-2-3 for UNM, getting the doubles point has generally meant a win. Sunday was no different in that regard. Dominic West made it 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-0 blasting of Jan Kirchhoff. The win was West’s 20th of the season, moving him to a team-best 20-6 on the year.
His team lead in wins lasted all of four minutes. Ricky Hernandez Tong ended his senior day on a high note, getting a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles for his 20th of the season, and 80th of his career. That win made it 3-0 and it put UNM within a win of the title.
San Diego State made it 3-1 with a win at No. 5 singles as Arnaud Restifo won 6-3, 6-3, but it was a brief hiatus in the festivities. Holis, taking on hard-serving Fabian Roensdorf, was up 2-0 in the third set after winning the first 6-2 and dropping the second 6-1. Serving at 40-40, Holis forced his opponent wide to take a commanding 3-0 lead, and then broke serve for 4-0. When he served out the fifth game, it was time for the Mountain West trophy to enter McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium.
Roesndorf was able to serve out a game to make it 5-1, but it delayed the inevitable. Holis, up 40-30, sent his opponent to the backhand, and his return was soft and right down the middle. Holis rushed the net and sliced a backhand out of Roensdorf’s reach, and the Mountain West title was UNM’s 6-1.
Two matches didn’t finish, with Tim Buttner in a third set and Nicolas Prieto facing match point at deuce down 6-4, 5-4. UNM has three matches left, all in Colorado and all on the road. UNM will face Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. before its final conference match on Saturday at noon at Air Force. UNM’s regular season ends with an important non-conference match with the top team in the Summit League, Denver.