Lobos Win Home Opener 5-2 Over Wichita State
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The nomad, wandering band of tennis players known as the New Mexico Lobos men’s tennis team could be excused if they weren’t quite sure where their home court was after opening the season with nine straight matches away from home. For a team that hadn’t played a home match, they sure looked comfortable at McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium.
The Lobos blitzed Wichita State with a sweep of doubles and a methodic run in singles, including a thrilling clincher by Daniil Kakhniuk as the Lobos downed the Shockers 5-2 in the opener of the Third Annual Jack Kennedy Classic. Wichita State plays No. 67 Santa Clara tomorrow before UNM hosts Santa Clara Sunday at 11 am.
The days’ pace was set forth by Aram Noroozian and Georgio Samaha in doubles, who after dropping thier first two matches of the spring bounced back in a big way. The took two opening breaks in the first four games to go up 4-0 and cruise to a 6-1 win over Alejandro Jacome and Kristof Minarik. UNM’s No. 3 doubles team of Aditya Balsekar and Avery Tallakson fed off that momentum, taking the final three games for a 6-2 win and a sweep of the doubles point.
From there, the Lobos needed three, and Noroozian wasn’t about to let his official home debut at No. 1 singles at McKinnon be spoiled. He handled Miranik 6-1 in his opening set as UNM and Wichita State split the opeing sets 3-3. Avery Tallakson, who entered the match tied with Noroozian for the longest active singles winning streak with three took a 6-3 first set win, and Kakhniuk went back and fourth with Luke Bracks before winning 6-4.
The three opening set wins set UNM well, and all three guys delivered with straight set wins. Noroozian had honors first with a 6-1, 6-4 victory, and that was followed by Tallakson on the opposite end, with a 6-3, 6-1 win. UNM’s only straight set loss came at No. 3 as Bario Ciobotaru lost 6-0, 7-5 to Vanja Hodzik. Up 3-1, UNM needed just one win, and Samaha and Balkesar bounced back with second set wins to really put the pressure on against the Shockers. Kakhniuk was up 4-1 in his second set, but Bracks worked his way back to trail 5-4, but Kakhniuk broke serve with a simple passing shot after Bracks was just able to race forward on a return, and with it, he let out a primal scream that got the over 100-plus in attendance on their feet.
Up 4-1, Balsekar forced a second set tiebreaker and won that 7-4, pushing his match to a 10-point third set tiebreak, which he also won, givng the Lobos its first win at No. 2 singles this season. Samaha, who forced a third set, couldn’t complete the comeback against Ilias Worthington, losing 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.
NOTES: Noroozian and Kakhniuk are tied for the team lead in wins with 14, and Tallakson is right behind with 13 … Noroozian and Samaha, ranked No. 70 in the latest ITA doubles rankings, are now 13-5 as a pairing in doubles …
