DENVER, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University tennis teams opened up their week of games in style by defeating Montana State-Billings, 7-2 on the men's side and 9-0 on the women's side Thursday afternoon in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


On the men's side, WNMU (8-8, 2-0 RMAC) dropped a tough MSU-B (2-8, 1-2 RMAC) that nearly bested Nebraska-Kearney (4-5) in their last matchup. In doubles action, MSU-B took the top flight defeating Johan Weich (Landskrona, Sweden/Filbornaskolan High School)/Juan Pablo Fuentes (Guadalajara, Mexico/), 9-8. WNMU tallied back to take the next two, with Jean Benoit Belin (Nimes, France/Emmanuel d'Alzon High School)/Rodrigo Almeida (Arapongas, Brazil/Nene Lourenco High School) winning at No. 2, 8-6 and Omar Lopez (Naucalpan, Mexico/)/Roy Ulibarri (Dexter, NM/Dexter High School) pulling out a 8-5 win at No. 3. In singles, WNMU took all of the singles matches but No. 2. In the top flight, Almeida cruised 6-0, 6-1. Weich pulled out a tough win at No. 3, as after dropping the first set, 5-7, he came back to win the final two sets, 6-3, 6-4. Matthieu Covizzi (Noailly, France/) dominated at No. 4 winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. Belin pulled out a tough first set, 7-6, before winning in straight sets with a 6-4 second set victory. Alvaro Nunez (Madrid, Spain/) made it five out of six in singles as he came back from a 1-6 loss in the first set to win 7-6 and 10-1 at No. 6.


On the women's side, WNMU (5-9, 2-0 RMAC) dominated to a 9-0 victory. In doubles, Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227)/Nikolina Vukadin (Pale, Bosnia and Herzegovina/Sredwjoskolski Centar Pale) battled at the top flight but came away with a 8-5 win. The next two cruised, with Ashley Newell (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado)/Doris Berberic (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Hutt Valley High School) winning at No. 2, 8-1 and Dena Irvin (Farmington, NM/Farmington High School)/Davida Aragon (Arenas Valley, NM/Cobre High School) controlling their match at No. 3, 8-2. In singles, Tiurina almost recorded a shutout in both sets, as she rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 win at the top flight. At No. 2, Vukadin kept up the straight set wins pulling out a 6-1, 6-3 victory. All of the Mustangs won in straight sets, with Newell winning at No. 3, 6-1, 6-2, Berberic at No. 4, 6-3, 7-5, Aragon at No. 5, 6-1, 6-0 and Erica Rasmussen (/) at No. 6, 6-0, 6-3.


WNMU will continue conference action today as they will face both Metro State and Colorado Christian in Denver.