SILVER CITY, N.M. – For the first time this season, the Western New Mexico University tennis teams enjoyed matches at home as they hosted McMurry University Friday. The men came away with a 6-3 win, while the women dropped a close 6-3 decision.


On the men's side, the Mustangs (6-7) used a solid start at doubles to race ahead 2-1. Senior Rodrigo Almeida (Arapongas, Brazil/Nene Lourenco High School) and freshman Jean-Laurent Pageault (Perrigny, France/Academi des Hauts de Nimes) fought through a back-and-forth affair going to a tiebreaker before coming away with a 9-8 win (7-4 in tiebreaker) at No. 2. At No. 3, Junior Omar Lopez (Naucalpan, Mexico/) and freshman Sascha Brechtel (Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany/Kurpfalz Gymnasium Mannheim ) also powered through a tight early match pulling away for the 8-6 victory. At the top flight, senior Francisco Damasio (Jundiai, Brazil/Centro Educational Sigma ) and junior Alvaro Nunez (Madrid, Spain/) fought back in their match, but fell, 5-8.


In singles, WNMU cleaned up at No. 1, 3, 4 and 5 to take the match. At the top flight, Almeida cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win. At No. 3, Brechtel also dominated to the tune of 6-2, 6-3. Damasio clinched the match for the Mustangs at No. 5 with a resounding 6-2, 6-1 triumph. Pageault fought back to win his No. 4 match in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Nunez came close at No. 2, as he dropped the first set, 4-6, but then came back with a 6-4 second set win before retiring in the third set. Lopez fell at No. 6, 1-6, 2-6.


On the women's side, the Lady Mustangs (0-14) came out leading 2-1 after doubles. Juniors Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227) and Marie Monier (Saint Etienne, France/St Paul Forez Montbrison) won their top flight match, 8-6, while senior Dena Irvin (Farmington, NM/Farmington High School) and sophomore Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) went into a tiebreaker at No. 2 coming away with the 9-8 (7-2) victory. Sophomore Claudia Osuna (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico/Tec Milenio ) and freshman Marissa Aguirre (Douglas, AZ/Douglas) won five games at No. 3 before a 5-8 setback.


In singles, Tiurina rolled to a 6-1, 6-4 win at the No. 1 position. Three other Lady Mustangs would go five sets. At No. 2, Monier dropped the opening set, 1-6, but then came back with a 6-2 second set win before a 4-6 loss in the third. At No. 3, Osuna started strong with a 7-5 first set win, but then dropped the next two sets, 3-6, 5-7. At No. 6, Aguirre rallied from a first set 4-6 loss, to take the second, 7-6 and then came close in the tiebreaking third set, 8-10. Morrill grabbed four games at No. 4, 1-6, 3-6, while Irvin won three at No. 5, 3-6, 0-6.


The women will return to action this Saturday when they will play at Division I UTEP at 3 p.m. They will also play Division I Louisiana-Monroe on Sunday at 10 a.m.
The men will return to action on Wednesday, April 2 at Division I New Mexico State.