Sunday, 05/02/2010

UNM concludes 2010 with an 8-12 overall record

LAS VEGAS, Nev.— The University of New Mexico men’s tennis team found themselves in a similar, but unfortunate situation Thursday afternoon, losing a 4-3 decision to UNLV in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament. The narrow loss marks UNM’s sixth loss by such a margin this season.

While sixth-seeded and 67th-ranked UNLV (13-11) held an advantage playing on their home courts, the three-seeded Lobos pushed the match to the very end, as the No. 1 singles spot was left to determine the winner with the score at 3-3.

Newly christened MWC Freshman of the Year Jadon Phillips countered the Rebels’ sophomore Mehdi Bouras as the two underclassmen took the top, and deciding match, to a third set. Phillips, playing in the No. 1 position for just the second time this spring, won the first set 6-3, but Bouras took the second 6-4 and then, with the match on the line, the third set, 6-4, to quickly end UNM’s run at back-to-back tournament titles.

The Lobos trailed 2-0 after UNLV snatched the doubles point with two quick wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots plus an early singles win with Kasper Konyves blanking Lobo sophomore Joe Wood, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.

UNM made it 2-1 with a two-set win from Ben Dunbar over Luca Barlocchi, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. After Carl Ho took a loss at the No. 3 slot to up UNLV’s lead to 3-1, Phil Anderson and Conor Berg knotted it up with two huge wins.

Anderson defeated Johannes Markel 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 4 position and was followed by Conor Berg’s 11th straight singles win, a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Bernard Schoeman.

That left the match up to the No. 1 spot, but UNM could not hold on, bringing their final record to 8-12 on the season.


#67 #6 UNLV 4, #3 New Mexico 3
Singles competition
1. Mehdi Bouras (UNLV) def. Jadon Phillips (UNM) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. Ben Dunbar (UNM) def. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) 6-1, 6-2
3. Attila Toth (UNLV) def. Carl Ho (UNM) 6-2, 6-3
4. Phil Anderson (UNM) def. Johannes Markel (UNLV) 6-4, 6-4
5. Conor Berg (UNM) def. Bernard Schoeman (UNLV) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
6. Kasper Konyves (UNLV) def. Joe Wood (UNM) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Mehdi Bouras/Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) def. Phil Anderson/Jadon Phillips (UNM) 8-3
2. Conor Berg/Ben Dunbar (UNM) vs. Bernard Schoeman/Johannes Markel (UNLV) 5-4, unfinished
3. Attila Toth/Kasper Konyves (UNLV) def. Joe Wood/Carl Ho (UNM) 8-1

Match Notes:
#6 UNLV 13-11 (2-4); National ranking #67
#3 New Mexico 8-12 (3-3)
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,2,3,4,5,1)
Temps 20 degrees below normal for Las Vegas.
Match originally postponed because of wind on Wednesday.