TYLER, Texas -- No. 19-ranked Midwestern State completed its three-match skirmish at the UT Tyler Invitational with a 4-2 victory over West Alabama, and the Mustangs improved to 4-2 this season with their second victory at the event.
Juan David Duque clinched the triumph over the Tigers with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at No. 5 singles, defeating Vilislav Bonev.
No. 29-ranked Duque of Colombia is 3-0 to start the season and has clinched two dual-match victories for the Mustangs.
Midwestern dropped the doubles point for the fifth time in six dual matches. The Tigers earned the first point of the day by the narrowest of margins as Bonev and Eita Ishikawa defeated
Philip Kamara and
Jose Marquez at No. 3 doubles, 7-6 (5). Tomas Almeida and Afonso Portugal defeated
Stephen Slocombe and
Filip Vacula of MSU at No. 1 doubles, 6-4.
Bruno Sanchez and
Justin Van Amerongen earned a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles, defeating Federico Iturbe and Jacob Tapia of West Alabama, 6-2.
Slocombe succumbed to Portugal at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-3, as MSU fell behind, 2-0, in the dual match.
Kamara pulled out an important win at No. 4 singles with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 triumph over Almeida to get the Mustangs on the board in the dual match.
Filip Vacula earned his third victory over a singles opponent ranked in the top-25 as he bested No. 23-ranked Eita Ishikawa at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Bruno Sanchez came through in two tiebreak sets to defeat Jacob Tapia at No. 2 singles, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), and Midwestern State held a 3-2 lead.
Duque closed out the victory, and the Mustangs earned their third win in four dual matches. MSU's only loss in that span came against No. 2-ranked West Florida on Saturday at the UT Tyler Invitational. The Mustangs opened the weekend with a 4-3 triumph over Auburn-Montgomery on Friday.
Midwestern State is hosting a dual match at home on March 7 as Northwest Missouri State visits the MSU Tennis Center at 2 p.m.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
