LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The UTEP tennis team won two of three doubles matches from ACU before taking all but one contested match in singles action against players primarily from WNMU on the first day of NM State Aggie Invitational Friday.
"We had a good first day by winning seven out of nine matches," UTEP head coach
Ivan Fernandez said. "We played well in doubles and that carried into singles. We played with a lot of energy and intensity. I really liked what I saw today, and I know we will continue to get better. Tomorrow will be tougher than today, but we are up for the challenge."
The fun started in doubles where the pairing of
Hanna Telzynska and
Carlotta Mencaglia, which earned All-CUSA second-team doubles honors last year, took out Masha Vrsalovic and Angela Del Campo, 6-4.
Zuzanna Szczepanska and
Candice Bernier proved their mettle with a 7-6 dispatching of Maria Cascos and Olivia Sears.
Paloma Hennicaux and
Wendy Zhang went down swinging to Hebe Toyos and Alice Klinteby, 4-6.
After a brief reprieve, focus switched to singles where the Orange and Blue squared off against players from WNMU. Mencaglia blasted Gabriella Blumberg, 6-1, 6-3. Szczepanska followed suit with a victory by the identical score (6-1, 6-3), vs. Andreea Arnautu. Telzynska picked off Manon Baudet, 6-0, 6-3.
Hennicaux drilled Jenna Kastell, 6-2, 6-0. Bernier, a two-time All-MEAC honoree with NC Central, dropped a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) on Lucia Carmena. Zhang battled before succumbing to the Wildcats' Jess Board, 6-4, 6-4.
The Miners will look to build on the strong performance to start the fall season on day two of the event Saturday. Doubles will begin at 9 a.m., with singles to follow.
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