The UNM men's tennis team pounded the University of Oklahoma 7-0, but the women's team lost a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to the Sooners at the Lobo Tennis Club Thursday.
The women's team (2-3) lost the doubles point after splitting the six singles matches, while the men (3-2) rebounded from a 4-3 loss to Yale University on Friday.
"Good teams bounce back and you saw that," men's head coach Alan Dils said. "A lot of the matches were pretty routine and that means that the guys were ready to play. I'm really pleased with that and hopefully it will give us a little momentum."
Divan Coetzee got the Lobos rolling in the number one singles position with a 6-3, 6-0 drubbing of Sebastien Revol. Coetzee dictated play with a wide range of baseline shots. He controlled the pace with lobs, drop shots and well-timed passing shots.
"At first, I was just feeling him out to see what he was going to do, and I changed my game according to that," Coetzee said. "That's my game. Just stay out there as long as possible and wear the guy down."
Coetzee said he was fired up about his team's overall performance.
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"This was an important game for us," he said. "We had to bounce back from Yale. We came out today with spirit and just really beat them up."
Equally impressive was the performance in the number three position by Bart Scott, who downed Ollivier Monferran 6-0, 6-4. Scott put pressure on Monferran's serve throughout the match while winning most of the points on his serve.
"I really concentrated on getting my first serves in," Scott said. "He gave me all second serves in the first set. It allowed me to put the pressure on by chipping and charging. The second set he got more first serves in, so I just had to be patient and wait for my opportunities."
Completing the rout in the singles matches were David Kowalski in a tight three-set match, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 over Tobias Kronlein, in the number two position; Michael Polasek ousted Chris Mitchell 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the number four position; John Kowalski was victorious against Alex Nomicos in the five position, and, in the number six position, Diego Garza easily defeated Olivier Girardot 6-2, 7-5.
In doubles action, Brent Salazar and Ryan Stotland defeated Kronlein and Mitchell 8-6 at the number one doubles position while Scott and Polasek buried Monferran and Revol 8-1. Rounding out the doubles at the number three position was Coetzee and Jasmin Hodzic, who downed Brad Prigmore and Girardot 8-4.
Meanwhile, the women lost two of three doubles matches to lose the point, which eventually would decide the match. At the number one doubles position, Michelle Heidbrink and Courtney Choate lost to Heather Saluri and Bethany Griffin 8-6, while Regula Comtesse and Maria Ruiz-Fabrega were defeated by the Sooners' Elena Jirnova and Anda Perianu 9-7. The Lobos only victory came at the number two doubles position when Tjasa Suvak and Rachel Hatley ousted Jessica Braver and Annette Bryntesson 8-4.
UNM won the number one, four and six singles positions. Tjasa Suvak crushed Jirnova 6-2, 6-1 at the top spot. Choate earned a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 victory against Griffin at the number four position, while Heidbrink finished off Braver 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.
The Lobos lost the battles at the number two, three and five positions. Sandy Lukowski was defeated 7-6, 6-4 to Perianu at the number two position and Tiffany Robertson was ousted 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to Bryntesson at the three spot. Comtesse lost to Saluri 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 at the number five position.
The women's next home match is Saturday at noon against the University of Texas at El Paso.
The men's next match is is this weekend when it goes on the road against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday and Louisiana Sate University on Sunday.
