ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Down 3-2, Northern Arizona took the final two doubles matches, including No. 2 singles as Chiara Tomesetti came back from 4-1 down in the third set to defeat Ruth Copas and take the match 4-3 at the McKinnon Family Tennis Center.
The 3:31 minute match was decided by a singles match that nearly took three hours on its own. Ruth Copas won the opening set 6-2, and then dropped the second, setting up a winner-take-all showdown. Copas and Tomasetti stayed on serve through three games with Copas up 2-1, but a strong forehand winner broke for Copas in the fourth, putting her up 3-1. She held for 4-1, but Tomasetti took the final five games, three on the deuce point including the winner.
The Lobos found themselves down 1-0 after doubles, dropping two matches, but quickly moved in front 2-1 in singles. Dominique Dulski got UNM evened up at 1-1 with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 win at No. 3 singles, her second straight win. Dulski, who struggled through the early part of the season with a toe injury, showed no ill effects in winning the final six games of the second set. Diana Wong immediately pushed it to 2-1 with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) win at No. 5 singles. The win for Wong was her fourth straight singles win.
NAU tied it with a win at No. 1 singles by Hanneke Lodewijks over Ludivine Burguiere 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, but Rachana Bhat picked her up with a big win at No. 6 singles. Bhat took the first set rather easily at 6-2 but was down 5-2 in the second, clawing back to win four straight to go up 6-5 before getting forced into a tiebreaker. Much like every other tiebreaker in the match, that went 7-3, and UNM was up 3-2.
Cassie Chung forced a third set to try and end it but lost to Brandy Walker 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, setting up the drama on court four.
New Mexico now has 10 days off before hosting UTEP on Friday, March 24 at 11 a.m. and then New Mexico State in a Rio Grande Rivalry match on Saturday, March 25 at 11 a.m.
Lobos Nipped at Wire Again, 4-3 by NAU
