ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Earlier today, the Gonzaga men's tennis team faced the University of New Mexico, losing 5-2 in competitive fashion. Today's match marks the third time in recorded history that the Zags have faced New Mexico, with the other two matches occurring in the 2020 and 2022 seasons.
New Mexico won the doubles point to start off the match. On court two, New Mexico's Arda Azkara and Daniil Kakhniuk picked up a 6-2 victory over Gonzaga's Arthus de la Bassetiere and Leon Roider. In the No. 3 spot, the doubles point was clinched for New Mexico when Rafael Abdulsalam and Georgio Samaha defeated Gonzaga's Pablo Gomez Galvan and Tom Hann by a score of 7-5. With the doubles point already clinched, the court one match between Gonzaga's Matthew Hollingworth and Sasha Trkulja and New Mexico's Alex Maggs and Jan Pucalka went unfinished, ending with a score of 6-5.
In the singles competition, Gonzaga continued to battle. On court four, the Zags earned their first team point of the day when Oliver Andersson defeated New Mexico's Aram Noroozian by a score of 6-4, 6-2. Shortly after, Azkara claimed a 6-4, 6-1 court one win over Trkulja. The Lobos earned their third team point of the day when Nikolay Sysoev defeated Hollingworth 6-4, 6-2.
On court five, New Mexico's Ryoma Matsushita clinched the team victory for the Lobos when he picked up a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Hann. In the No.2 spot, Bassetiere battled, but dropped his match against Abdulsalam by a score of 6-2, 6-3. In the final match of the day, the Zags picked up their second team point when Roider claimed a 6-2, 7-5 court six win over Samaha.
Up next: Today's match marks the second of a five-game road trip the Gonzaga men's tennis team has to open their spring season. The Zags will continue their road trip on January 28th, when they face Texas Christian University at 2 p.m. on the first day of the ITA Kick-Off. The next home match the Zags will have is scheduled for February 4th at 2 p.m., when they will face the University of Idaho at the Stevens Center
A live stream of Gonzaga's match against Texas Christian University can be found at GoZags.com.
Records: With the loss, Gonzaga's record on the season drops to 2-1. For New Mexico, their record improves to 2-0 on the year. Today's loss also marks the first defeat the Zags have suffered to New Mexico, moving their historical record to 2-1 against the Lobos.
New Mexico 5, Gonzaga 2
Singles competition
1. AZKARA, Arda (NM) def. Sasha Trkulja (GU) 6-4, 6-1
2. ABDULSALAM, Rafael (NM) def. Arthus Bassetiere (GU) 6-2, 6-3
3. SYSOEV, Nikolay (NM) def. Matthew Hollingworth (GU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Oliver Andersson (GU) def. NOROOZIAN, Aram (NM) 6-4, 6-2
5. MATSUSHITA, Ryoma (NM) def. Tom Hann (GU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Leon Roider (GU) def. SAMAHA, Georgio (NM) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. MAGGS, Alex/PUCALKA, Jan (NM) vs. Matthew Hollingworth/Sasha Trkulja (GU) 5-6, unfinished
2. AZKARA, Arda/KAKHNIUK, Daniil (NM) def. Arthus Bassetiere/Leon Roider (GU) 6-2
3. ABDULSALAM, Rafael/SAMAHA, Georgio (NM) def. Pablo Gomez Galvan/Tom Hann (GU) 7-5
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,1,3,5,2,6)
