Baklini clinches the match for the 4-3 Lobo win
In the second home match of the weekend, the Lobos of the University of New Mexico men’s tennis team (13-10, MW: 3-3) edged out the Broncos of Boise State (9-17, MW: 1-6) by a final score of 4-3.
Double’s play started with close matchups, with the first flight of Bart Van Leijsen and Jorge Escutia over Kyle Butters and Jack Heslin by a final score of 6-5. The Broncos responded with a second flight victory, with Stefan Lalovic and Pedro
Pletzeck beating UNM’s Dominc West and Sean Baklini by a score of 6-3. In the third flight, the pairing of Ricky Hernandez-Tong and Stepan Holis beat Boise’s Mattia Bedolo and Wyatt DeMulling, with a final score of 7-6, earning the Lobos the double’s point.
In single’s play, the Broncos earned their first point of the match, when Holis fell to Platzeck in two-straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, in the fifth flight. This was followed by another two-set victory, this time from Lobo West as he took down Matteo Tinelli with a final score of 6-4, 6-2. Hernandez-Tong in the second flight was able to continue the momentum for the Lobos, winning his sets, 6-3, 7-6 over Boise’s Butters.
This was followed by a pair of losses by the Lobos. In the first flight, Van Leijsen fell to Heslin by a score of 7-6, 6-4. Escutia then fell to DeMulling in the fourth flight, with a final score of 6-2, 2-6, 1-6, tying up the teams at three points.
In the sixth flight, Bakilini lost his first set, 4-6, but won in an exciting tiebreaker against Ryland McDermott in the second set by a score of 7-6. Finally, in the match-clinching set, Baklini was able to best his opponent, winning his final set by a score of 6-1.
“I’m really proud of the guys,” Head Coach Ben Dunbar said. “It’s hard not to point out Sean, claiming his first ever clinch in the third last match as a Lobo. He has such a rock mentality, and showed that he has learned so much in his time here. We hope to see our fans again Friday at one and then Saturday at one for a senior day celebration of Bart, Jorge, and Sean, who have meant so much to this program.”
The Lobos are back in action next week, Friday April 20 at 1 P.M. against Denver, and then again on Saturday as they finish out the regular season against Air Force at 1 P.M. The Saturday match will also be a celebration of Senior Lobos Bart Van Leijsen, Jorge Escutia, and Sean Baklini as they play their last regular season matches as Lobos.