PUEBLO, CO — The Western New Mexico University men's tennis team opened competition at the Colorado College Invite Saturday with a full slate of singles and doubles action at Pueblo City Park Tennis. 

Matisse Pierre (Nantes, France/IUT GEA Nantes) highlighted the opening day for the Mustangs, advancing to Sunday's singles final after earning two victories. Pierre opened with a 6-4, 6-3 win before battling back for a 3-6, 6-2, 11-9 victory. 

Head coach Jesus Baltazar praised Pierre's performance, saying he "played with a lot of heart and drive today" and that he was "excited to see what unfolds tomorrow in the finale." 

In singles, Christopher Lund-Kuhl (Vaerloese, Denmark/Kruses Gymnasium) opened with a 6-2, 6-0 victory before dropping his second match 6-3, 2-6, 9-11. Markuss Oto Meidrops (Ikskile, Latvia/Ikskiles Highschool) battled in his opening match, falling 6-1, 6-7(6), 3-10, before responding with a 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 victory. 

David Guta (Bucharest, Romania/Liceul Teoretic C.A. Rosetti) dropped his opening match 6-3, 0-6, 8-10, while Nico Lackner (Salzburg, Austria/Bundesgymnasium Seekirchen) fell 3-6, 4-6 before earning a 6-2, 7-5 victory. 

Djamel-Dine Bey (Paris, France/National Centre for Distance Education (Online)) opened with a 3-6, 3-6 loss before responding with a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Olivier Hutton (Saint-Pierre, France/Centre National d'Enseignement a Distance) dropped his singles match 6-0, 6-3, while Alvaro Fernandez Caceres (Badajoz, Spain/Colegio Santa Maria Assumpta) fell 0-6, 3-6 before retiring from his second match at 6-7, 4-2. 

In doubles, Guta and Meidrops earned a 6-1 victory, while Lackner and Benjamin Vriens posted a 6-4 win. Lund-Kuhl and Hutton split their matches, falling 4-6 before earning a 7-5 victory. Bey and his partner advanced through a bye before earning a 6-4 victory, while Pierre and Fernandez Caceres dropped their match 4-6. 

Pierre will return to the court Sunday for the singles final as competition continues at the Colorado College Invite.