TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler tennis wrapped up a 6-1 win for the #21 women and a 5-2 win for the #5 men over Southern Arkansas to cap off a 4-0 home weekend at the Summers Tennis Center.
WOMEN'S MATCH: #21 UT Tyler 6 | Southern Arkansas 1
The Patriots came out firing in the doubles matches, led by
Claudia Di Leonardo and
Paula Castellanos taking a 6-2 win in line #3. The Muleriders answered in line #1, but
Maria Antonio Ortega and
Carla Rodier ensured a Patriots 1-0 lead with a thrilling 7-6 (7-3) win to move ahead 1-0.
In singles, the Patriots quickly kept things rolling, securing a pair of wins in just over 60 minutes to put themselves on match point.
Yona Bancarel led the way, taking a 6-1, 6-1 straight sets win. She was followed four minutes later by Antonio Ortega, who delivered a 6-2, 6-4 win to put the Patriots up 3-0.
Natalia Gorzny would battle it out in line #2, splitting her first two sets 6-2, 3-6 before going on a roll on the way to a 6-1 third set win, ensuring the Patriots victory.
Castellanos would add another point in line #4 as she also split her first two sets in scores of 6-0, 5-7, and then took the tiebreaker 1-0 (10-4) to put the Patriots up 5-0.
The Muleriders got their lone point in a straight sets win in line #5, but
Luisa Moraes capped off the match with a brilliant 6-0, 6-2 straight sets win for a second straight team win of 6-1.
MEN'S MATCH: #5 UT Tyler 5 | Southern Arkansas 2
Southern Arkansas would take the early lead in the men's match as the Patriots dropped the doubles point for the second straight day. The Muleriders took wins in line #1 and #2, but
Job Japelj and
Trevor Short delivered a 6-4 win in line #3.
In singles, the Patriots strapped in for a series of marathon matches, with each of the first three lines going three sets.
Samuel Antwi got the Patriots on the board in the #4 line, taking a 6-2, 6-1 win to even the match.
Artiom Dorofeev in line #1 was the first of a trio of three-setters, splitting his first two sets 6-4, 3-6 before delivering a 6-3 win in set three in which he never trailed.
Carel Wessel in the #3 line followed just minutes later, splitting the first two sets 6-1, 3-6 before a 7-5 win in set three that saw him battle all the way back from a 2-5 deficit to win five straight games and win his point.
That point put the Patriots at a 3-1 lead, and
Malo Poulesquen in the #2 line would ensure Patriots victory as he also battled to three sets. He dropped the opener 0-6, but followed up with sets of 6-2, 6-1 in which he only trailed once over those last two sets to give the Patriots the fourth point needed for the win.
The Muleriders garnered a second point in the #5 line, but
Martin Despodov would cap off the match with a 6-4, 6-4 straight sets win in the #6 line to give the Patriots their 5-2 win.
UT Tyler will get back to work at home yet again next weekend, taking on West Florida, West Alabama, and Auburn Montgomery in a trio of big matches, all at the Summers Tennis Center.
Those matches begin with West Florida on Friday at 10 a.m.
