EL PASO, Texas – Valeria Carreño Torres, Paloma Hennicaux, Hanna Telzynska and Wendy Zhang all posted wins in straight sets to lead the way for the Miners on the opening day of the third-annual UTEP Invitational at the El Paso Tennis Club Friday. The respective duos of Carlotta Mencaglia and Hanna Telzynska and Candice Bernier and Zuzanna Szczepanska picked up victories in doubles action, helping UTEP compile a combined record of 6-3 in singles (4-2) and doubles (2-1).
 
The Miners locked up with players from both I-10 rival NM State and Sam Houston.
 
"We played well today," UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez said. "We had chances to win all three doubles. In the singles, we competed well by winning four of the six. It's always great to play well at home. We hope to keep it going again tomorrow. It's great to have Vale back on the court. This was her first singles match and win after coming back from injuries last year. We expect a lot of great tennis from her in the future."
 
Action commenced with doubles play. Bernier and Szczepanska blasted Anna Pinaieva and Nadia Nemeth (NM State), 6-1. Mencaglia and Telzynska dug deep to down Aaliyah Hohmann and Jacqueline Schnable (Sam Houston), 6-4. Carreño Torres and Hennicaux fought to the final point before succumbing at the hands of Christine Jevicky and Adithi Venkata Krishnan (Sam Houston), 7-6.
 
UTEP continued to perform well in singles action, highlighted by Carreño Torres's first career solo triumph. She drilled Hohmann, 6-4, 6-1. Zhang was dominant in a 6-3, 6-2, vanquishing of Sara Sadadinovic (Sam Houston). Hennicaux was locked in from the get-go en route to a 6-2, 6-0, win vs. Whitney Moon (NM State). Telzynska drilled Schnable, 6-2, 6-3.
 
Szczepanska went down swinging, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, at the hands of Lisa Zhu (NM State) while Mencaglia was clipped, 6-4, 7-6, by Nayuma Subba (Sam Houston).
 
The Orange and Blue will look to sustain their momentum on day two of event on Saturday. Competition will commence with doubles at 10 a.m., followed by singles play.
 

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