Feb. 22, 2004

The 70th-ranked Denver men's tennis team lost its fourth consecutive match this afternoon in Las Cruces. Denver lost a 6-1 decision to New Mexico State in Sun Belt Conference (SBC) play. The Pioneers scored their only point with a win from sophomore Nejc Smole (Ljubljana, Slovenia) at No. 1 singles. Denver falls to 4-5 overall and 0-2 in the SBC.

"We did not play our best tennis this weekend," head coach Geoff Young said. "We need to find a way to re-group and get ready for Arkansas-Little Rock next week."

In doubles play, NMSU's No. 1 team of Benjamin Archer-Clowes and Tyler Lyon defeated Denver's Smole and Viktor Zetterholm (Stockholm, Sweden), 8-4. Senior Hans Peter Gaber (Anger, Austria) and sophomore Niki Popovic (Ljubljana, Slovenia) defeated Christian Halligan and Stjepan Beg, 8-6. NMSU clinched the point with an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles.

Denver's lone point came from Smole, who improved to 8-1 overall with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Archer-Clowes.

The Aggies then won five straight singles matches to claim the 6-1 win. Four of the wins were won in straight sets.

New Mexico State 6, #70 Denver 1

Singles

1) Nejc Smole (DU) def.

Ben Archer-Clowes (NMSU), 6-3, 6-3

2) Danilo Zivanovic (NMSU) def.

Hans Peter Gaber (DU), 6-1, 6-7,10-5

3) Stjepan Beg (NMSU) def.

Viktor Zetterholm (DU), 6-4, 6-4

4) Luis Avila (NMSU) def.

Jason Tan (DU), 6-3, 6-3

5) Christian Halligan (NMSU)

def. Niki Popovic (DU), 6-1, 6-2

6) Tyler Lyon (NMSU)

def. Urban Ljubic (DU), 6-0, 7-6

Doubles

1) Archer Clowes / Lyon (NMSU) def. Smole / Zetterholm (DU), 8-4

2) Gaber / Popovic (DU) def. Halligan / Beg (NMSU), 8-6

3) Avila / Zivanovic (NMSU) def. Ljubic / Flaks (DU), 8-5