Sunday, 04/11/2010

Phillips improves No. 3 singles record to 9-3 with win

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – For the second straight match, the University of New Mexico men’s tennis team took a hard-luck 4-3 loss to a conference opponent, falling to No. 75 San Diego State Sunday afternoon at the Aztec Tennis Center. UNM drops to 6-10 on the season with a 1-3 conference record while the Aztecs improve to 9-11 and 3-0 in MWC action.

UNM was handed two 8-4 losses at the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles slots to start the match with a 1-0 disadvantage. The combination of Ben Dunbar and Conor Berg captured an 8-4 win over the 75th-ranked doubles duo in the nation in Juan Gomez and Luis Rattenhuber at the No. 2 position, but it was all for naught as the Aztecs had already secured the doubles point.

San Diego State proceeded to win two singles matches right out the gate, claiming quick wins at the No. 1 and No.2 spots to go up 3-0. Freshman Jadon Phillips responded with a two-set win over Giovanni Vaglietti at the No. 3 spot, 6-3, 6-2, to improve to 9-3 in singles play at that position and give UNM its first game.

The Lobos would need to win out the remaining three matches in the bottom of the lineup, however, and Rattenhuber stood in the way, taking down Phil Anderson in three sets at the No. 4 spot, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Berg and Joe Wood would go on to win their singles matches to make the final score 4-3. Each has a three-match singles winning streak.

New Mexico returns home for a pair of matches this week, hosting Boise State on Thursday, April 15 and TCU on Sunday, April 18 with both matches beginning at 1 p.m. at the Linda Estes Tennis Center.

No. 75 San Diego State 4, New Mexico 3
Aztec Tennis Center; San Diego, Calif.

DOUBLES
1. Giovanni Vaglietti/Achim Vladimirschii (SDSU) def. Jadon
Phillips/Phil Anderson (UNM), 8-4
2. Ben Dunbar/Conor Berg (UNM) def. No. 76 Juan Gomez/Luis
Rattenhuber (SDSU), 8-4
3. Andre Felix /Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU) def. Matt
Neeld/Carl Ho (UNM), 8-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3*, 2
* - clinched doubles point

SINGLES
1. Achim Vladimirschii (SDSU) def. Ben Dunbar (UNM), 6-1, 6-1
2. Juan Gomez (SDSU) def. Carl Ho (UNM), 6-2, 6-2
3. Jadon Phillips (UNM) def. Giovanni Vaglietti (SDSU) , 6-3,
6-2
4. Luis Rattenhuber (SDSU) def. Phil Anderson (UNM), 5-7, 6-4,
6-2
5. Conor Berg (UNM) def. Andre Felix (SDSU), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
6. Joe Wood (UNM) def. Tim Schulz van Endert (SDSU), 4-6, 6-1,
6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3, 4*, 5, 6
* - clinched team match

Team Records: San Diego State: 9-11, 3-0 MWC, New Mexico: 6-10, 1-3 MWC