SAN ANTONIO – It was one last hurrah at home for the 41st-ranked UTSA men's tennis team (17-5), as the Roadrunners secured their 17th victory in a late-addition match against UT Rio Grande Valley (6-17) on Tuesday afternoon at the UTSA Tennis Center, 6-1. Tuesday's victory brings the 2023 campaign win total into a tie for third most in program history, alongside the 2015 squad – the last UTSA conference champions and NCAA qualifiers.
Rainy local conditions didn't do the teams any favors on Tuesday, but the Roadrunners jumped out to a quick start to earn the doubles point in just under 30 minutes, allowing UTSA to get a score on the board and singles under way before light rains forced a two-and-a-half-hour delay. Juniors Garrett Skelly and Jackson Ross jumped all over Augustin Salazar and Te Kani Williams to earn a 6-1 victory in only 19 minutes on court three. Wrapping up court two, senior Sebastian Rodriguez and sophomore Tomás Pinho captured the doubles point with a 6-1 defeat of Chris Lawrance and Whitehead.
As sprinkling rain turned steady, the Roadrunners were only in possession of a slight lead on one court heading into the forced break. However, upon their return the Roadrunners produced five first-set victories. UTSA collected one quick score, as Rodriguez pushed Williams into a retirement on court three, granting UTSA the 2-0 lead.
Next point on the board belonged to Pinho on court four, topping Salazar 6-4, 6-2. Coming off last week's Conference USA All-Academic honors, sophomore Danijal Muminovic made quick work on five, besting Whitehead, 6-1, 6-4 – providing UTSA with the clinch point on their 17th victory. Fighting off Lawrance for a 7-5 win in the first set, Ross dominated the second go-around with a commanding 6-0 second. The final UTSA point was procured by junior Alan Magadan, scrapping out a pair of 7-6 (5) victories over Borna Devald to seal off the 6-1 UTSA final.
Quoting Coach Sergey Avdeyev
"It is a great feeling to finish out the regular season with this win. It gives us important momentum going into this weekend and the big matches we have in front of us."
Doubles Results
Order of Finish: 3, 2
1. Alan Magadan/Tiago Torres vs. Burnel, Emilien/Devald, Borna: 4-5, 0-0 (unfinished)
2. Sebastian Rodriguez/Tomás Pinho def. Lawrance, Chris/Whitehead, Sam: 6-1
3. Garrett Skelly/Jackson Ross def. Salazar, Agustin/Williams, Te Kani: 6-1
Singles Results
Order of Finish: 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2
1. Burnel, Emilien def. Tiago Torres: 7-5, 2-6, 10-6
2. Alan Magadan def. Devald, Borna: 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5)
3. Sebastian Rodriguez def. Williams, Te Kani: 1-1, retired
4. Tomás Pinho def. Salazar, Agustin: 6-4, 6-2
5. Danijal Muminovic def. Whitehead, Sam: 6-1, 6-4
6. Jackson Ross def. Lawrance, Chris: 7-5, 6-0
Up Next
It's time for the postseason! UTSA makes its return to Houston with a Conference USA title in mind later in the week, heading back to Rice's George R. Brown Tennis Center for the league tournament, Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23. The Roadrunners come in as the No. 2 seed behind No. 28 Middle Tennessee State. Lined up with a first-round BYE, UTSA will face the winner of No. 60 FAU and Charlotte on Saturday, April 22, at 12:00 p.m.
- UTSA -
