BYU tennis: Cougars win five singles matches to top New Mexico 5-2

PROVO, Utah — The No. 39 BYU men's tennis team beat its fifth ranked opponent this year in No. 60 New Mexico 5-2 on Saturday at the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts.

“New Mexico has a great team, a great tradition and is well coached,” BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. “If we didn’t come out and fight [after doubles] like we did, we would have ended today with a loss. I’m glad the guys responded well.”

BYU (13-4) now owns a 33-20 all-time advantage over New Mexico (8-8).

In doubles, junior Patrick Kawka and Francis Sargeant won their first five games en route to an 8-4 victory over Conor Berg and Andrew Van Der Vyver on Court 1. The Lobos took the next two matches to secure the doubles point.

BYU responded with its first point as Kawka defeated Berg in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

Senior Spencer Smith won his first set quickly but then dropped the next two against Samir Iftikhar 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Court 2 to give New Mexico the one-point lead.

On Court 4, sophomore Keaton Cullimore took the first set and lost the second. He then lost the first two games in the third set but came from behind to win four straight games to earn a personal victory and to tie the overall match at two points each.

Sargeant also found himself down a set to Jadon Phillips on Court 3 before earning a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win.

Freshman Andrey Goryachkov clinched a BYU victory as he topped Van Der Vyver 7-6(5), 6-0 on Court 5. John Pearce rounded out the day’s match with a 7-6(0), 7-5 win.

The Cougars host San Francisco next Friday at noon MDT at the Outdoor Tennis Courts.

Doubles

1. Kawka/Sargeant (BYU) def. Berg/Van der Vyver (UNM) 8-4

2. Phillips/Du Toit (UNM) def. Fillmore/Smith (BYU) 8-5

3. Hignett/Hegelund (UNM) def. Cullimore/Pearce (BYU) 8-6

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles

1. Patrick Kawka (BYU) def. Conor Berg (UNM) 6-3, 6-3

2. Samir Iftikhar (UNM) def. Spencer Smith (BYU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2

3. Francis Sargeant (BYU) def. Jadon Phillips (UNM) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

4. Keaton Cullimore (BYU) def. Riaan Du Toit (UNM) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

5. Andrey Goryachkov (BYU) def. James Hignett (UNM) 7-6(5), 6-0

6. John Pearce (BYU) def. Andrew Van Der Vyver 7-6(0), 7-5

Order of finish: 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 6

Aaron Sorenson is the tennis sports information director at BYU.