ARLINGTON — Back-to-back aces by junior Ivana Babic clinched a thrilling 4-2 victory for the Mean Green tennis team Wednesday afternoon at UT Arlington.

Babic's come from behind three-set singles win at No. 6 put an end to a comeback attempt by the Mavericks after North Texas (10-9), which has now won more matches this year than all of last year, jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead. 

"I am so happy for my team and of course for clinching the win," Babic said She has now clinched three matches this year. "This was a difficult match and we showed how tough we are as a group. It is always an amazing feeling to clinch the match and I am happy that I was able to finish and secure a win for my team.

 "Idemo ('Let's go' in Croatian)," she added.

The Mean Green cruised to a solid doubles-point victory by picking up convincing wins at No. 1 and No. 2 and were leading at No. 3 when the doubles point was clinched. For senior doubles team Maria Kononova and Tamuna Kutubidze, the win improves their record to an impressive 10-1. 

Kononova, who was back at the No. 1 spot in the singles lineup, then rolled in singles to a 6-2, 6-3 win. The victory is Kononova's 80th career singles win and improves her career winning percentage to 70 percent. 

UTA (12-6), who was riding a three-match winning streak headed into Wednesday, cut into North Texas' lead with a victory at the No. 5 spot in the lineup and held leads at the No. 3 and No. 4 spot at the time and Babic dropped her first set 6-4. 

The Mavericks have dominated at the No. 4 and No. 5 position this season, having won more than 75 percent of the matches at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots combined. 

Shortly after UTA's first point, though, Kutubidze put the Mean Green in position to clinch with a three-set win at the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Kutubidze overcame a rough and emotional second-set loss to overpower her UTA opponent 6-3 in the third set to pick up her 13th duel match win of the year, which ties a career-high for the senior with her freshman season total. 

The win also gives her 67 career singles wins, which are the second-most in program history. She is only behind classmate Kononova's 80. The win is also Kutubidze's 47th career dual match victory, which is also the second-most in program history and just one behind Kononova's 48.

The 3-1 lead shrunk to 3-2 after the Mavericks picked up a win at No. 4.

However at the same time UTA seemed to be on the verge of pulling off the comeback, Babic was picking up momentum late in the second set. 

After losing 6-4 in the first set and battling back-and-forth early in the second set, Babic began to separate herself from her opponent with her powerful first serve. Babic tied her match up with a 6-3 second-set win and then was unstoppable in the third set. 

Babic was the aggressor in the third set. Putting the pressure on her opponent with the serve and then motivating herself after every point.  

Babic with the victory in sight, blasted back-to-back serves at her opponent that could not be returned and thus clinched the win for UNT and improve her dual match record to 10-2 on the year.

The win continues what has been a breakout junior season for Babic. In the 2019 calendar year alone, Babic has now won more singles matches than she did in the two years prior combined. 

North Texas heads to Memphis on Saturday for its final regular season road match of the year. 

Wednesday's win is the Mean Green's fourth straight over the Mavericks.

DOUBLES
1. Kononova/Kutubidze (UNT) def. Cerolan/Pons (UTA); 6-3
2. Babic/ Heczey (UNT) def. Takeuchi/ Chileno (UTA); 6-3
3. Liang/ Surapaneni vs. Boza/ Natal (UTA); 5-2 (unfinished)

SINGLES
1. Kononova (UNT) def. Pons (UTA); 6-2, 6-3
2. Kutubidze (UNT) def. Natal (UTA); 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
3. Liang (UNT) vs. Takeuchi (UTA); 6-1, 4-6, 4-4 (unfinished)
4. Chileno (UTA) def. Surapaneni (UNT); 6-4, 7-6 (5)
5. Boza (UTA) def. Heczey (UNT); 7-5, 6-4
6. Babic (UNT) def. Cerolan (UTA); 4-6, 6-3, 6-0