Abilene, Texas – The Western New Mexico University men's tennis team turned in a gritty first-day performance at the Cowboy Classic, highlighted by several strong singles and doubles efforts.

Leading the Mustangs, Yannik Rogulski (Madunice, Slovakia/) battled through a marathon contest in the singles, narrowly falling 5-7, 6-4, 8-10. Meanwhile, Mael Houee (Rennes, France/Tennis Club de Bruz) earned one of the day's biggest wins, rallying for a three-set singles victory 5-7, 6-2, 10-6, and then pairing for a 6-2 doubles triumph with Yannik.

Benjamin Vriends (Mierlo, Netherlands/) also pushed his opponent to three sets in singles, however, dropped a tight 4-6, 7-5, 5-10 match. David Guta (Bucharest, Romania/) fought hard but came up short 1-6, 3-6 in the singles. He later teamed with Benjamin for a commanding 6-2 doubles victory.

Rounding out the Mustang effort, Djamel-Dine Bey (Paris, France/) fought through a three-set singles battle and triumphed 6-7, 6-3, 16-14 in a resilient match. In addition, Djamel partnered with Christopher Lund-Kuhl (Vaerloese, Denmark/) to achieve an 8-5 doubles win and achieve an impressive two wins on the day. In the singles, Christopher led the way early, building a 2-1 lead before retiring in his match.

The Mustangs displayed resilience throughout the opening day, setting the tone for a competitive weekend in Abilene.


   
Western New Mexico University is a member of the NCAA Division II, and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). For additional information regarding Mustang Athletics, visit www.wnmumustangs.com; visit wnmu.edu for more information about Western New Mexico University. Follow the Mustangs on social media: @WNMUathletics (X, TikTok & Instagram).