PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Western New Mexico University tennis teams opened the Phoenix Tournament on Thursday as the men dominated their match, while the women fell in a pair of close matches.


On the men's side, the Mustangs cruised past Glendale Community College, 9-0. In doubles action, senior Rodrigo Almeida (Arapongas, Brazil/Nene Lourenco High School) and junior Juan Pablo Fuentes (Guadalajara, Mexico/) rolled to an 8-1 win at the top flight. Senior Francisco Damasio (Jundiai, Brazil/Centro Educational Sigma ) and junior Alvaro Nunez (Madrid, Spain/) won by the same score of 8-1 at No. 2. In the third slot, junior Omar Lopez (Naucalpan, Mexico/) and freshman Jean-Laurent Pageault (Perrigny, France/Academi des Hauts de Nimes) had no trouble sweeping an 8-0 victory.


In singles, Almeida, Nunez, Fuentes, Pageault at the top spot through the fourth and freshman Sascha Brechtel (Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany/Kurpfalz Gymnasium Mannheim ) at No. 6 completed straight set 6-0, 6-0 victories. Damasio won his match at No. 5 due to injury.


On the women's side, the Lady Mustangs came close against both California State Stanislaus and Dixie State before falling by identical scores of 6-3.
In the first match against California State Stanislaus, in doubles sophomore Claudia Osuna (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico/Tec Milenio ) and freshman Marissa Aguirre (Douglas, AZ/Douglas) won their No. 3 match, 9-7. Junior Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227) and sophomore Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) came close at the top flight before falling, 7-9. Senior Dena Irvin (Farmington, NM/Farmington High School) and junior Marie Monier (Saint Etienne, France/St Paul Forez Montbrison) lost at No. 2, 1-8.


In singles, Tiurina rolled to a straight set 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 1. Aguirre at No. 6 also collected a win as she opened with a 6-3 win and after dropping the second set, 4-6, she came back with a lengthy 12-10 third set win. Monier at No. 2 and Osuna at No. 3 each won five games each but fell by the same scores of 3-6, 2-6. Morrill came away with three games in her opening set at No. 4 before falling in straight sets, 3-6, 1-6. Rounding out the singles play, Irvin at No. 5 lost, 0-6, 1-6.


Later in the day WNMU went against Dixie State and lost, 3-6, although they made a strong run in singles play. The Lady Mustangs were close to winning each other their doubles matches, but came up short. Osuna and Aguirre came the closest as the pushed their No. 3 match to a tiebreaker and fell, 8-9 (6-8). Tiurina and Morrill at No. 1 also were within a few points, but came up just short, 7-9. Irvin and Monier at No. 2 nearly pushed their match the distance as the other two did, but dropped a slim 6-8 decision.


In singles, the Lady Mustangs stormed back against the Storm with the top three rolling to victories. Tiruina opened at the top flight with a 6-2, 6-1 victory, followed by a 6-1, 6-4 win by Monier at No. 2 and a 6-2, 6-0 win by Osuna at No. 3. That meant WNMU needed a pair of wins out of the last three singles matches to come away with the win. Morrill won three games in her match at No. 4, but couldn't come all the way back in the second set as she lost, 0-6, 3-6. Irvin at No. 5 grabbed a pair of games in the first set before dropping the 2-6, 0-6 decision. At No. 6 Aguirre lost, 0-6, 0-6.


Both teams will be in action today as the men will play Mesa CC, while the women will face Academy of Art and Dominican.