TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler tennis returned to their home courts at Summers Tennis Center for the first time this season and didn't miss a beat as they came away with two impressive wins in blustery conditions against Auburn Montgomery.
 
On the women's side, the Warhawks are ranked at #44 in the country. The doubles pair of Delara Zamani and Leony Deutschmann took the task of taking on their best doubles team, but fell by a score of 6-3. That left the doubles point in the hands of the pairs of Brooklyn Ross / Chloe Chawner, and Chloe Dix / Tanvikhaa Saravanan.
 
The Ross / Chawner duo battled tightly, but separated themselves late in the match and secured a 6-3 win. With both teams at one doubles win each, the pair of Dix / Saravanan clawed their way to a close 6-4 victory and earn the doubles point for UT Tyler.
 
With the score 1-0 in favor of the Patriots, they needed to secure just three singles matches to come away with a victory over #44 Auburn Montgomery. Zamani set the tone in the #1 singles match, coming away with a roller coaster three-set win to put a point on the board. After winning the first set 6-4, Sofia Navarro responded with a 6-1 win to even the match. However, it was Zamani who had the upper hand with a 6-3 win in set three.
 
In the #3 singles position, Ross looked to put another point on the board for the Patriots after the Warhawks took the #2 singles match. Ross performed strongly with a dominating 6-1, 6-4 victory to place the Patriots just one point away.
 
Needing just a single point to secure the match, Saravanan took on the #4 singles position and looked to end the match. Ana Villalvazo battled tightly against Saravanan, splitting the first two sets with scores of 7-6, 2-6. In the tiebreaking third set, it took another tiebreaker to decide a winner, but Saravanan came away with the 7-6 win to claim the point and the match for UT Tyler over #44 Auburn Montgomery.
 
For the men's program, it was all Patriots as they swept the doubles matches and controlled the first point of the match as they headed into singles. Gonzalo Fernandez Gil and Moritz Mayer combined for a strong 6-4 victory in the #1 doubles position.
 
In the #2 doubles match, Joaquin Bianchi and Jonas Dixon took down Auburn Montgomery in impressive fashion, winning by a score of 6-3. With the doubles point secure, the Leon Sell and Safar Rasulov match continued on, and the pair completed a comeback victory in their match as they won 7-6 in a tiebreaker.
 
Leading 1-0, the Patriots needed just three singles wins to claim the victory just as the women's program did. In the #2 singles match, Joaquin Bianchi earned a victory, but unfortunately it was due to his opponent having to retire from the match. With the Patriots up 2-1, David Rieme of the Warhawks battled against Fernandez Gil. Fernandez Gil took the first set 7-6, but Rieme battled back with set wins of 6-2, 6-2 to earn the point and tie the score at 2-2.
 
Needing a quick response, Rasulov took over the #3 singles spot and earned a big 6-4, 6-3, straight sets win to put the Patriots on match point. Yudai Watanabe did not participate in doubles, but has proven to be a strong singles competitor throughout the season. Today proved no different, as Watanabe closed out his opponent 6-2, 7-5 to secure the fourth and final required point for a Patriots victory.
 
Next up for both teams will be the beginning of their LSC schedules on Mar. 25 in Lawton, Oklahoma, where they will take on Cameron. On Mar. 26, both programs will head north to Arkansas to take on UAFS to wrap up the first weekend of LSC play.