Lobos Complete Big Comeback at UNCW
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Down 2-0 and down in several other matches, UNM ran off four straight wins including an epic comeback by No. 93 Arda Azkara as the Lobos picked up a good road win with a 4-2 victory over host UNC Wilmington in the first match ever played between the two teams.
UNM will finish off its three-match east coast swing tomorrow morning at 10 am Mountain Time against No. 71 William & Mary.
The Lobos were looking to jump out to an early 1-0 lead after Azkara and Alex Maggs easily handled Reece Falck at No. 1 doubles 6-1. It looked like UNM was in control with a 4-2 lead at No. 2 doubles and a 4-3 lead at No. 3, but the Lobos couldn’t close either out. At No. 2, Georgio Samaha and Nicolas Recoura had chances but dropped the final four games to make it 1-1 after a 6-4 loss.
At No. 3, Ryoma Mastushita and Avery Tallakson had two shots up 40-30 to make it a 5-4 match, but opponents Gabe Hurtado and Trey Mallory broke and they finished off doubles with a 7-5 win.
Down 1-0, the real shocker hit when Azkara dropped his first set 6-0, the first time that’s happened to him all season. Arthur Bellegy and Rafael Abdulsalam also dropped first sets, putting UNM in a world of trouble.
Mallory toppled Abdulsalam 6-1, 6-1 for a 2-0 lead, and UNM got one back when Maggs won over Jordi Domenech 6-2, 6-3. UNM’s Aram Noroozian was up after a 7-3 tiebreaker win, but the Lobos were still on the wrong side.
Tied 3-3, Azkara was able to extend his match with a break for a 6-3 second-set win, squaring his match at one-set apiece. Bellegy was then able to do likewise, saving a match point to force a tiebreaker, which he won 8-6 to move his to a third set. Samaha likewise fell 6-3 in his first but got his second set back at 6-3.
Suddenly, there was light, and the Lobos eventually tore the curtain down and let it all in. Samaha completed his thrilling three-set win over Hurtado 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to make it 2-2, and then Noroozian finished off a 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 win to give UNM a lead.
With Bellegy and Azkara both in third sets and UNM up 3-2, it went from running out a time to a matter of time, and it was Azkara who triumphantly finished off a Lobo win with an 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.