Jan. 21, 2003

The University of San Francisco men's tennis team was swept by nationally ranked New Mexico Saturday at the Lobo Tennis Club.

Early in the day, the Lobos earned the doubles point, then won all six singles matches to win their first dual match of the spring season.

In doubles action, the Lobos won two of three matches to earn the doubles point. At the number one spot, the Lobo duo of senior Brent Salazar and sophomore Ryan Stotland proved too strong for the Dons' Joachim Lien and Mason Fuller.

Salazar and Stotland used a combination of bullet serves and rifle returns to retire Lien and Fuller, 8-5. Bart Scott and Divan Coetzee, playing at No. 2, made quick work of Jon Lippert and Axel Elvik, 8-2, while David Kowalski and Jasmin Hodzic were the only Lobo duo to come up short, though they weren't lacking in effort.

Kowalski and Hodzic held a commanding 6-3 lead before Lippert and Elvik earned three straight points to tie the score at 6-6. The two teams traded two games apiece to make the score 8-8, but the Dons prevailed in the tiebreaker, 7-4, to earn the 9-8 match victory.

The highlight of the singles action came at the No. 1 position, where Scott battled Lien for over two grueling hours before getting the 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) victory.

In the first set, Scott jumped out 2-0 before a persistent Lien battled back to go up 3-2. Scott seemed to have Lien on the ropes, leading 6-5, but Lien won the next game to force the tiebreaker. Scott won the tiebreaker to win the set and the see-saw battle continued in the second set.

Once again, Scott and Lien battled to a 6-6 tie. The two were tied 1-1 in the tiebreaker, but Lien double faulted to give Scott a lead he would not relinquish.

Meanwhile, Stotland also needed two tiebreakers to finally do away with Jorgen Arnesen at No. 2, 7-6 (7-5) and 7-6 (8-6). Sophomore David Kowalski easily beat Christian Dyvik, 6-0, 6-0 and Coetzee, Salazar and Hodzic each won in two sets to give the Lobos a clean sweep of the singles points.

DOUBLES 1.(UNM) Brent Salazar/Ryan Stotland d. (USF) Joachim Lien/Mason Fuller, 8-5 2.(UNM) Bart Scott/Divan Coetzee d. (USF) Jon Lippert/Axel Elvik, 8-2 3.(USF) Pablo Pires de Almeida/Jorgen Arnesen d. (UNM) Jasmin Hodzic/David Kowalski, 9-8 (7-4)

SINGLES 1. Scott d. Lien, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) 2. Coetzee d. Pires de Almeida 6-2, 6-3 3. Stotland d. Arneson, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6) 4. Kowalski d. Dyvik, 6-0, 6-0 5. Salazar d. Fuller, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) 6. Hodzic d. Elvik, 6-4, 6-4