Lobos Edged by Gonzaga 4-2

Box Score
 
WACO, Texas — New Mexico picked up a doubles point win, but Gonzaga took four singles matches as the Bulldogs edged the New Mexico Lobos 4-2, ending UNM’s run at the ITA Kickoff Invitational.
 
The Lobos fell to 0-4 on the season, and Gonzaga moved to 3-2.  The Lobos four opponents so far this season are a combined 19-2.  UNM now has a week off before opening its home schedule with a pair of weekend matches.  UNM hosts BYU on Saturday, February 8 at 11 a.m. and then on Sunday, February 9 the Lobos host Northern Colorado.
 
UNM picked up its first doubles point of the season as Jake Trondson and Raul Dobai knocked out the No. 57-ranked duo of Sam Feit and Matthew Hollingworth 6-2 to go up in the doubles portion of the match.  Stepan Holis and Alex Maggs lost at No. 3 6-4, putting everything at No. 2 doubles.  There, Dominic West and Facundo Bermejo won 6-3 to put UNM up 1-0.
 
The singles matches were hotly contested, and they took nearly three hours just by themselves.  UNM took a 2-1 lead as Maggs lost at No. 6 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 but Sergio Molina picked up his first collegiate win with a 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 3.
 
UNM needed just two more points but couldn’t find them anywhere on the board.  Bermejo took an opening set win but couldn’t close it out, losing at No. 5 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, which pushed the match to 2-2.  West fell at No. 1 7-5, 6-3 to Feit, and Gonzaga was one win away, with the other two matches to play in third sets.
 
Dobai kept the match afloat, battling off a match point in winning his second set 7-6 (8-6) to move to a third set.  Holis at No. 2 battled back from dropping his first set 6-4 to even it up with a dominating 6-1 win in the second set.  His third set went to a tiebreak as Dobai fell behind 2-0 after having his serve broken.  Holis battled to a 5-5 score in the tiebreaker, but his opponent Hollinsworth took the final two points to clinch the match.