Lobos Sweep Utah, WNMU to Run Streak to Four
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Appropriately during Super Bowl LVIII, the Lobos won a tennis match by a touchdown. The Lobos tossed a pair of shutouts on Sunday, blanking both the University of Utah and Western New Mexico, beating Utah 4-0 and Western New Mexico 7-0 to run their winning streak to four straight heading into another challenging weekend with matches at Wichita State and against UTSA.
New Mexico swept the doubles point against Utah with Arda Azkara and Alex Maggs taking 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles and then a 6-4 win at No. 2. That was won by Nicolas Recoura and Georgio Samaha on a brilliant final point in which Recoura somehow used his lanky 6-5 frame to return a drop shot, and then on the following volley handed Utah his own drop shot for the win.
In singles, UNM raced to the win as Samaha, Rafael Abdulsalam, and Arthur Bellegy all won easily in straight sets. Samaha’s win was his 10th straight, this a 6-2, 6-4 win. Abdulsalam used a big serve to take down Geremia Rossi 6-1, 6-2 and Bellegy used a key break in each set for a 6-3, 6-3 win over Dylan Applegate.
Arda Azkara was denied a shot at moving his home winning streak at No. 1 to 22-0 as his match was halted at one set apiece.
In the night-cap UNM had no problems with Western New Mexico even with a lineup switch as Maggs and Azkara sat out in doubles, and Noroozian did likewise in singles. The Lobos swept the doubles point with Noroozian and Abdulsalam winning at No. 3 doubles.
In singles, UNM clinched the match quickly as Avery Tallakson, playing in the lineup for the first time, won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles. Rafael Abdulsalam won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 and Arthur Bellegy won his sixth in row and first at No. 1, winning 6-1, 6-2.
Ryoma Matsushita picked up a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 4, and Recoura, with his parents from France watching, won a three-set thriller 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (11-9). Alex Maggs finished it off with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) win at No. 3 singles.