Lobos Handle NMSU Easily 6-1

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — In its first match as a ranked team this season, the Lobos looked the part. New Mexico handled rival New Mexico State with ease in a 6-1 victory to move to 7-5 overall as the Lobos now return home for three straight in the Duke City.

UNM took a pair of doubles matches with No. 70 Aram Noroozian and Georgio Samaha winning easily at No. 1 6-1, and then that was followed by a 6-4 win by Daniil Kakhniuk and Nicolas Recoura.  UNM had the third doubles match basically in the bag as Aditya Balsekar and Avery Tallakson were up 5-2 at the clinch.

In singles, UNM clinched the win quickly, althought everything was played out.  Aram Noroozian continued to look the part of a No. 1 player, and a potential Player of the Year candidate with a 6-2, 6-1 over Itay Feigin.  Dario Ciobotaru  won 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3 and Kakhniuk earned the official clinch with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Matias Rojas, giving UNM the win.

Tallakson made it 5-0 with a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 6, and Georgio Samaha won his second straight, winning in three sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.  The only Aggie win was at No. 2 where UNM’s Balsekar lost two tiebreakers, losing 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 1-0 (10-6).

UNM comes home to face Northern Arizona on Friday at 3 pm and then UTSA on Sunday at 11 am, both at McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium.