Sunday, 02/21/2010

Dunbar runs singles win streak to four

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s tennis team lost, 4-3, to New Mexico State Saturday afternoon at a blustery New Mexico State University Tennis Complex.  It’s the first time the Lobos lose to the Aggies since Aug. 5, 2000, and only the 10th time in 97 matches between the two programs.

“New Mexico State has got a good team,” coach Alan Dils said. “They played well in difficult conditions and, at the end of the day, they did just a little better job than we did today.”

Wind gusts between 25-45 mph made their presence felt to a New Mexico squad that was playing its first outdoors even of the spring season.

The Lobos’ Ben Dunbar won his fourth consecutive singles match - his second straight at the No. 1 spot. Dunbar won the first set, 7-5, and was up 2-0 in the second set before the Aggies’ Jim Brouleau was disqualified for three code violations.

“It’s a weird occurrence,” Dunbar said of Brouleau’s disqualification. “But I was playing good. I was happy with how I was playing, so it was a good match for me.”

Phil Anderson, playing in the No. 4 spot, picked up his second straight singles win, 6-0, 6-0, over Matej Stakne to give the Lobos their first point of the afternoon. Carl Ho finished off Gustave Diep, 6-3, 4-6 (11-9) to give New Mexico its third point after the Aggies had already cinched the match.

“My match went well, given the tough conditions,” Anderson said. “You’ve got to play according to the conditions, so I thought I did a pretty good job. It’s ruthlessly windy. In tennis, conditions like these turns the match into a battle. You have to scrap, get balls back – do whatever you have to do to win. It’s really the best you can do.”

The Lobos surrendered the doubles point in a bitterly contested first hour of play. Dunbar and Jadon Phillips won the No. 1 match 9-7 over Jim Diep and Eduardo Salas. But the Arthur Surreaux and Matej Stakne beat Conor Berg and Carl Ho, 8-5 in the No. 3 match to knot up doubles play. The Aggies cinched the point when the Lobos’ Joe Wood/Phil Anderson team dropped their match, also 9-7, to Jim Brouleau/Orlando Superlano in the No. 2 match.

“We fought well, which I would totally expect,” Dils said. “Like I said earlier, it was very difficult conditions, but the guys didn’t complain. They just went out there and played, and fought. We’ve just got to get tougher as a team.”

Tennis Match Results
New Mexico vs. New Mexico State
Feb 20, 2010 at Las Cruces, N.M.
(NMSU Tennis Center)

New Mexico State 4, New Mexico 3

Singles Competition
1. Ben Dunbar (NM) def. Jim Brouleau (NMSU) 7-5, 2-0, DQ
2. Carl Ho (NM) def. Gustave Diep (NMSU) 6-3, 4-6, (11-9)
3. Arthur Surreaux (NMSU) def. Jadon Phillips (NM) 7-5, 6-4
4. Phil Anderson (NM) def. Matej Stakne (NMSU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Orlando Superlano (NMSU) def. Joe Wood (NM) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Luis Fernanado-Ramirez (NMSU) def. Conor Berg (NM) 6-2, 0-6, 6-4
 
Doubles Competition
1. Ben Dunabr/Jadon Phillips (NM) def. Jim Diep/Eduardo Salas (NMSU) 9-7
2. Jim Brouleau/Orlando Superlano (NMSU) def. Joe Wood/Phil Anderson (NM) 9-7
3. Arthur Surreaux/Matej Stakne (NMSU) def. Conor Berg/Carl Ho (NM) 8-5