Lobos Win Wild One at BSU 4-3 to Stay Unbeaten
BOISE, Idaho — It was equal parts thrilling and bizarre, but in a match that lasted nearly four hours and endured both a rain delay and a change of venue with the match tied 4-4 in the third set of the final match, New Mexico’s Nicolas Prieto was able to comeback from down a set, and then down 3-0 in the third to keep UNM unbeaten in Mountain West play with a 4-3 win at Boise State.
The Lobos moved to 8-6 overall and 3-0 in the Mountain West, while Boise State dropped to 10-6 overall and 0-3 in the league. The Lobos have won seven of their last eight matches heading into a matchup with Utah State, which defeated Air Force on Friday to also move to 3-0, setting up a first place showdown.
All the background noise of the earlier matches fell to the drama that occurred at No. 6 singles, where Nicolas Prieto dropped his first set 6-3 to Stefan Lalovic. Prieto was down 4-3 in the second set but was able to get a break of serve and win the final three games to send his match to a third set. And Prieto and Lalovic were the only show going as every other court ended in straight sets.
UNM won singles one and two, with Ricky Hernandez Tong winning 6-0, 6-1 and Dominic West winning 6-1, 6-2. UNM also had the doubles point, so the match was 3-3 as the third set started for Prieto.
After winning the final three games to force that third set, Lalovic seemed to take revenge, bolting to a 3-0 lead, putting the Broncos near their first conference win. Prieto had other ideas. He got the match back to 3-2, and then had it tied 4-4 after a break of serve in the eighth game. Serving, Prieto took a 40-30 lead, and then the weather had other ideas. Rain fell, and when the sun finally came back out, the courts were too wet at the Appleton Tennis Center to continue. So, Prieto got loaded up into the team van for UNM, and he, Lalovic, and both teams drove 10 minutes away to the Boas Indoor Tennis Center.
After the drive, and a short warmup, the match continued with each holding serve, sending what was shaping up as a weird ending into full-blown Twilight Zone territory. Prieto and Lalovic stayed close the whole way, but at 5-5, Prieto was able to get the final two points to clinch his way 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), and give UNM a 4-3 win.
NOTES: Dominic West’s win was his seventh straight … West and Facundo Bermejo won their seventh straight doubles match as well … West stayed one win ahead of Hernandez Tong on the season, 18 to 17.