Lobos Drop 4-0 Decision to San Jose State

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — San Jose State showed why it sits in first place in the Mountain, but UNM also showed they they don’t back down either.  San Jose State defeated UNM 4-0 on Sunday at McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium, but the Lobos made the Spartans work for it, and had a chance despite the score.

As can happen in tennis, what looks like a convincing shutout was really anything but.  Doubles was easily won by the Spartans however, with Olaya Bances and Duru Durgan winning 6-1 over Sarah O’Connor and Marika Matsoukatidi, and Emma Fantousis and Soledad Fayos winning 6-3 over Maud Vandeputte and Sofia Taborga as UNM shuffled some of its doubles lineups.

In singles, while San Jose got to four without a match going UNM’s way, that isn’t to say it was easy.  In fact, when the clinch happened, UNM was in all three remaining matches.  Maria Sodre was up 6-2, 5-6 and serving for a tiebreak at No. 4 singles and both Maud Vandeputte and Rebekkah Gaines rebounded from 6-1 opening sets.  Vandeputte was in a tiebreaker against No. 116 Cheuk Ying Shek, and Gaines was tied 5-5 with Carla Urcheoguia.  What UNM needed was someone else to hang on, but it couldn’t be done.

San Jose’s second point came with Fayos defeated Allison Romero 6-1, 6-0.  Romero was a late insert into the lineup who was snakebit by several deuce-points that didn’t go her way.  Durgun beat O’Connor 6-0, 6-3, but Sarah nicely bounced back to put herself in a position to battle in the second set.  San Jose State won it when Fantousis beat Taborga 6-2, 6-4 as Sofia couldn’t put away two game points to push things to 5-5.

The Lobos are right back at McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium on Friday when they host Air Force at noon in the only match of the week for UNM.

NOTES: Vandeputte’s no decision leaves her at 9-1 in the spring, 4-0 at No. 1 and 2-0 in the Mountain West … Romero’s match was her first for UNM since February 1.