This time, the road was half way kind to the U men’s tennis team.
The Utes opened Mountain West Conference play this past weekend in Albuquerque, N.M., against New Mexico and Air Force. Versus New Mexico, the Utes lost a close match, 4 3, but then bounced back to beat Air Force 6-1.
That makes the Utes 5-8 away from home.
Against the Lobos, Utah won the doubles point when it took two of three matches. David Mercier and Nik Yip defeated Bart Scott and Michael Polasek 8-6, and Daniel Carlsson and Tyler Poulson beat Ryan Stotland and Brent Salazar by the same score. Corrie Scheepers and Daniel Lohff lost to Divan Coetzee and David Kowalski 8-6, for the U’s one doubles loss.
But the U lost four of six singles matches to the Lobos. Mercier lost to Coetzee 7-5, 1 6, 6-3 at the one spot. David Kowalski beat Carlsson 6-1, 7 5, John Kowalski beat Poulson 6-4, 6-4, and Lohff lost to Ryan Stotland 6-3, 6-4.
Scheepers beat Scott 6-2, 6 4, and Yip defeated Polasek 4 6, 6-4, 7-6, but it was not enough, as the Utes dropped their first conference match.
They bounced back well against the Air Force Academy, winning the doubles point again and only losing two matchups.
In doubles play, Mercier and Yip defeated Chris Zielinski and Greg Zielinski 8-6. Scheepers and Lohff downed Kyle Rainey and Justin Mancinelli 8-6. Poulson and Carlsson lost to Eric Pittman and Tyler McClung 8-5, for the one U loss in doubles play, but the Utes won the point.
Playing at the one position in singles competition, Scheepers defeated Pittman, 6-3, 6-3, Carlsson defeated Chris Zielinski 7-6, 6-2 at the three position, Poulson beat Mancinelli 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, Lohff defeated McClung, 2-6, 7-6, 6 3, and Tobias Tangberg downed Chris Dong, 6-2, 6-4.
The one loss in singles play came when AFA’s Rainey defeated Yip 6-4, 7-6.
After this weekend, the Utes go 12-8 overall, 1-1 in MWC play, and prepare to come home for three straight conference matches?against BYU, UNLV and San Diego State?next week. All three matches are scheduled for the Canyon Racquet Club, located at 7350 S. Wasatch Blvd., near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.