Updated Draws

SAN DIEGO, Calif.– Carlotta Mencaglia picked up a win in singles while Thassane Abrahim and Veronika Lebisova joined forces in doubles for a victory to lead the way for the UTEP tennis team on the opening day of the San Diego State Invitational on Friday.  
 
"It was great to get out on the court today," UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez said. "It didn't go our way on a few courts, but we will get better every day. Tuca (Thassane Abrahim) and Vero (Veronika Lebisova) played very solid in singles and doubles. It was a great win for them vs. SDSU in doubles."
 
Action commenced in doubles where the Miners tasted victory immediately. Abrahim and Lebisova teamed up to take down SDSU's Cecile Morin and Rania Azziz, 6-4. Elena Dibattista and Zuzanna Szczepanska went down swinging to Cal State Northridge's Yulia Zhytelna and Emma Moratalla Sanz, 6-4. Eve Daniels and Mencaglia fought hard in a 6-3 defeat against CSUN's Angela Ho and Victoria Santibanez Luna.
 
Focus then switched to singles play where Mencaglia got the Orange and Blue off to a good start. She cruised past Megan Tagaloa (CSUF), 6-0, 6-2. Lebisova played a close match before ultimately falling to Rhona Cook (Long Beach State), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 Freshman Paloma Hennicaux was tripped up by Vito Solis Urdiales (CSUN), 6-2, 6-3.
 
Dibattista was upended by Natalie Duffy (Cal State Fullerton), 6-2, 6-2. Szczepanska was knocked off narrowly by Alexandria Von Tersch Pohrer (SDSU), 6-4, 7-6 (8). Abrahim was derailed in a back-and-forth match by Ho (CSUN), 7-6,(10) 3-6, 7-5. Daniels was dispatched by Jasmine Tolmoyan (CSUN), 6-2, 6-2.
 
The Miners will continue play at their first event of the fall season on Saturday.
 
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