UTEP tennis dispatched by undefeated Texas A&M-CC, 6-1

EL PASO, Texas - Carlotta Mencaglia cruised to a straight-set win in singles while UTEP put up a good fight across the board in a 6-1 home setback to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the El Paso Tennis Club Wednesday.

The Miners (1-3) came within a few points of claiming the doubles point while also suffering a trio of setbacks in three sets in singles action, allowing the Islanders (4-0) to come away with the victory.

“This is a tough loss to swallow,” UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez said. “We were again points away from winning the doubles. We fought hard in the singles but could not win any of the three-set matches. Carlotta (Mencaglia) played a great match to beat a girl she lost to in the fall. The final score does not show how close this (match) really was.”

Veronika Lebisova and Thassane Abrahim got things off to a good start in doubles, drilling Naomi Moi McKenzie and Valeria Cherfus, 6-2, at No. 1 doubles. Mencaglia and Eve Daniels were edged, 6-4, by Emma Aucagne and Palina Saulevich at No. 2 doubles and Zuzanna Szczepanska and Elena Dibattista went down swinging to Sofia Pinto and Kateryna Rublevska, 7-5, at No. 3 doubles.

Mencaglia highlighted the action for the Orange and Blue in singles by blasting McKenzie, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 2 singles.

UTEP’s comeback aspirations didn’t come to fruition, though, with the Islanders claiming the other matches.

The Miners didn’t make it easy, evidenced by three of the matches going the distance.

Lebisova roared out to stake the first set against Aucagne, 6-0, but was unable to sustain the momentum in falling in the other two sets, 6-1, 6-2, to come up short at No. 1 singles. Szczepanska went back-and-forth in a hard-fought setback, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 at No. 3 singles against Pinto. Abrahim was held off, 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 by Cherfus at No. 4 singles.

Paloma Hennicaux was clipped, 6-4, 7-5, by Rublevska at No. 6 singles while Dibattista was knocked off, 6-2, 6-2, against Victoire Delattre at No. 5 singles.

UTEP will look to regain its winning ways when it plays host to UTSA in its Conference USA opener at 12 p.m. MT Friday. The match will be held at the El Paso Tennis Club, and admission is free.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs UTEP

Jan 25, 2023 at El Paso, Texas

(El Paso Tennis Club)

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6, UTEP 1

Singles competition

1. Emma Aucagne (AMCC-W) def. Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) 0-6, 6-1, 6-2

2. Carlotta Mencaglia (UTEP) def. Naomi Moi McKenzie (AMCC-W) 6-4, 6-2

3. Sofia Pinto (AMCC-W) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska (UTEP) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3

4. Valeria Cherfus (AMCC-W) def. Thassane Abrahim (UTEP) 6-0, 4-6, 6-0

5. Victoire Delattre (AMCC-W) def. Elena Dibattista (UTEP) 6-2, 6-2

6. Kateryna Rublevska (AMCC-W) def. Paloma Hennicaux (UTEP) 6-4, 7-5

Doubles competition

1. Veronika Lebisova/Thassane Abrahim (UTEP) def. Naomi Moi McKenzie/Valeria Cherfus (AMCC-W) 6-2

2. Emma Aucagne/Palina Saulevich (AMCC-W) def. Carlotta Mencaglia/Eve Daniels (UTEP) 6-4

3. Sofia Pinto/Kateryna Rublevska (AMCC-W) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska/Elena Dibattista (UTEP) 7-5

Match Notes:

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-0

UTEP 1-3

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (5,2,4,6,1,3)