ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New
Mexico State’s men’s tennis team saw two players make their collegiate debuts,
and one player advance to the quarterfinals of the main draw, Friday, Oct. 9,
at the Lobo Balloon Fiesta Classic.
Sophomore Matej Stakne
advanced to the quarterfinals of the main draw by defeating New Mexico’s Joe
Wood 6-4, 6-0, after receiving a first round bye.
“You expect to see good
things out of Matej,” assistant coach Carlos Vargas said. “He beat a good
player from UNM and hopefully he can keep it up tomorrow.”
Also in the main draw, junior
Craig Duran won his first match of the day by topping New Mexico Military
Institute’s Daneric Hazelman, but fell to Northern Arizona’s Andrew Reiff 6-3,
6-4, in the second round.
Freshman Scott Keaton
remained in contention in the singles B draw after winning both of his singles
matches of the day. He dominated Western New Mexico’s Francisco Pereira 6-1,
6-2, and Air Force’s Sam Barnes 6-3, 6-2.
Making their debut, freshmen
Ryan Tommasi and Alex Moncada dropped the first singles matches of their
careers – Tommassi to Air Force’s Taylor Soster 6-3, 6-3, in the main draw, and
Moncada to NMMI’s Lorenzo Pineda 7-5, 6-2, in the B singles draw.
In doubles, NM State went 2-3
on the day, with one victory coming in the first round and the other in
consolation play.
Juniors Armando Morales and
Luke Salazar beat NMMI’s team of William O’Connell and Lorenzo Pineda 8-5, but
fell to Air Force in the following round. This was the first time the two
played as doubles partners.
“We’re trying new doubles
teams out to try to get things figured out for the spring,” Vargas said.
The other new doubles team
was that of Stakne and Tommasi. The duo lost their first match of the day, but
bounced back and won in the first round of consolation.
“These young players are
gaining experience and tomorrow will give them a chance to hopefully play
better with the nerves behind them,” Vargas said.
Overall, the Aggies were 8-9
on the day.
Lobo Balloon Fiesta
Classic- Day One Results
Men’s A Singles- Round of
32
Criag Duran NMSU, def.
Daneric Hazelman NMMI, 7-6; 4-1 (inj)
Taylor Soster Air Force, def.
Ryan Tommasi NMSU, 6-3; 6-3
Phil Anderson UNM, def.
Armando Morales NMSU, 6-1; 6-2
Men’s A Singles- Round of
16
Andrew Reiff NAU, def. Craig
Duran NMSU, 6-3; 6-4
Matej Stakne NMSU, def. Joe
Wood UNM, 6-4; 6-0
Men’s A Singles
Consolation- Round of 16
Armando Morales NMSU, def.
Roman Fulgenzi NMMI, 6-3; 6-2
Men’s B Singles- Round of
32
Lorenzo Pineda NMMI, def.
Alex Moncada NMSU, 7-5; 6-2
Robert Edwards UNCO, def.
Luke Salazar NMSU, 4-6; 6-1; 6-4
Scott Keaton NMSU, def.
Francisco Pereira WNM, 6-1; 6-2
Men’s B Singles- Round of
16
Scott Keaton NMSU, def. Sam
Barnes Air Force, 6-3; 6-2
Men’s B Singles
Consolation- Round of 16
Ben Lantz NAU, def. Alex
Moncada NMSU, 7-5; 6-3
Luke Salazar NMSU, def. Juan
Vicencio NMMI, 6-2; 7-5
Men’s Doubles- Round of 32
Charles Norman/Michael Wood
GCC, def. Craig Duran/Scott Keaton NMSU, 8-5
Armando Morales/Luke Salazar
NMSU, def. William O’Connell/Lorenzo Pineda NMMI, 8-5
Roman Fulgenzi/Matt Neeld,
def. Matej Stakne/Ryan Tommasi NMSU, 9-7
Men’s Doubles- Round of 16
Sam Barmes/Vinni Lodolo Air
Force, def. Armando Morales/Luke Salazar NMSU, 8-5
Men’s Doubles Consolation-
Round of 16
Matej Stakne/Ryan Tommasi
NMSU, def. Joe Garcia/Nico Shell GCC, 8-2
Courtesy: Tim Barnett-Queen
