SILVER CITY, N.M. – With one final home match on the schedule before hitting the road for spring break, the Western New Mexico University tennis teams competed against New Mexico Military Institute Thursday with the women claiming a 7-2 win and the men a 8-1 triumph.
First on the women's side, the Lady Mustangs won two of the three doubles match.
Claudia Osuna (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico/Tec Milenio )/
Tiffany Newell (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado ) cruised to an 8-2 win at No. 2.
Ashley Newell (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado)/
Pauline Emin (Viry, France/Lycee Arbez Carme) won five games at the top flight before falling, 5-8. WNMU then won at No. 3 by default. In singles,
Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227) had no issues at No. 1 with a 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Annica Betz (Celle, Germany/Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria Gymnasium) had to battle to win her match in three sets as she dropped the opening set, 2-6, but then came back with strong second and third set wins, 6-4, 7-5. Emin dominated at No. 3 with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
Tianna Zambrano (Silver City, NM/Silver City) at No. 4 claimed the first set, 6-2, but then dropped the next two sets, 3-6, 3-6. WNMU then won the final two singles matches also by default.
With the win, the Lady Mustangs are now 3-4 overall on the season.
On the men's side, the #48 ranked Mustangs rolled to a 3-0 lead taking each doubles match. At the top flight,
Jean-Laurent Pageault (Perrigny, France/Academi des Hauts de Nimes)/
Tristan Da Lio (Casablanca/Academie des Hauts de Nimes) recorded an 8-0 shutout win.
Alvaro Nunez (Madrid, Spain)/
Pablo Santibanez (Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico/CETYS Universidad) nearly had the same score at No. 2 coming away with an 8-1 win.
Omar Lopez (Naucalpan, Mexico)/
Vladimir Gnilozubov (Kazakhstan, Astana/Kazakhstan) posted an 8-5 win at No. 3 for the doubles sweep. In singles, Pageault fought through a challenge at No. 1 before persevering for the 6-4, 7-5 victory. Nunez at No. 3 and Gnilozubov at No. 4 each only dropped two games in their straight set victories. Nunez recorded a 6-0, 6-2 win, while Gnilozubov came away with a 6-2, 6-0 win. Santibanez tallied a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 5, while Lopez rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 6. Da Lio at No. 2 nearly came back to force a third set before falling, 2-6, 5-7.
WNMU improves to 2-5 on the season with the victory.
Both teams will now travel to Midland, Texas this coming weekend as the Lady Mustangs will open against Western Michigan, while the Mustangs will face Texas-Permian Basin.
