UTEP tennis gears up for final five matches of season; Interview with coach Ivan Fernandez

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP tennis team (2-5) will play three matches in as many days this weekend, including the first two at home.

The Miners will play host to Division II UT Tyler (9-3) at 10 a.m. MT Friday and welcome NAU (8-4) to town at 12 p.m. MT Saturday.

UTEP will then conclude the weekend with a match at I-10 rival NM State (4-10) at 12 p.m. MT Sunday.

“This last stretch of five matches in seven days to close out the regular season will be very challenging for us,” UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez said. “We normally play two or three matches in a weekend throughout the spring, but with all the  changes this semester, we have not been able to build up that endurance. We have been working as hard as possible to prepare for this, and we will give it our best to finish strong in these remaining matches.”

Erandi Martinez has been the standout performer for the Miners, compiling a record of 5-1 on the year.

She has won two straight and is 4-1 at No. 2 and 1-0 at No. 3. Veronika Lebisova has been locked in of late, entering the weekend with three consecutive victories to improve to 3-3 on the year.

Lebisova has also teamed with Thassane Abrahim to form UTEP’s most potent double team with a record of 4-1, including 2-1 at No. 1. Kathleen Percegona and Lina Sachica  also have multiple victories in singles play on the season.

In singles action Sachica has also peeled off back-to-back wins to climb back to .500 at 2-2 overall.

UT Tyler has won two straight and sits at 9-3 overall on the year.

Included in that record is a mark of 3-1 on the road. NAU, which will play at NM State on Friday, sports a 8-4 record in 2021.

They are 6-0 at home but 2-4 on the road. The Aggies have compiled a mark of 4-10.