UMBC

Gaulthier Berret won the deciding match at ODU.

Norfolk, Va.—The UMBC men’s tennis team rallied for a dramatic 4-3 win at Old Dominion and improved to 5-1 on the young season.

The win by the Retrievers snapped ODU’s eight-match winning streak in a marathon match which took six hours to complete.

UMBC was swept in doubles and split the first four singles matches to trail, 3-2. Senior No. 6 Mwali Phiri (Yonkers, N.Y./Tuckahoe/Tyler J.C.) came back from a 5-2 deficit to Alfredo Rodriguez in the third set to win 4-6, 6-4, 7-6. The two-year letterwinner fought off a match point down 5-3 in the third.

Then sophomore Gaulthier Berret (Lagny Sur Marne, France) edged Fahoum Fahoum, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 at number five singles to capture the match for the Retrievers.

"It was the most dramatic and impressive come-from-behind victory I have been involved with in my coaching career, topping the thrilling upset of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, after also being down 3-0," head coach Rob Hubbard said.

UMBC won its other two matches in three sets as well, as junior No. 2 Joe Adewumi (Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon) rallied to defeat Benjamin Chomette  5-7, 7-6, 6-2.  Adewumi staved off three match points down 5-6 in the second set.

Sophomore No. 4 Adam Duprat (Bobigny, France) outlasted Albert Ochagavia 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

"Our men never gave up even when things looked bleak," Hubbard said. "They showed why they will be a team to be reckoned with come conference time."

The Retrievers head back to Virginia next weekend and will take on VCU in Richmond on Sunday, Feb. 20.