RIO GRANDE VALLEY – When the match is on the line, there’s no one better for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s tennis team to have in control than senior captain Emilien Burnel.
On a chilly Friday at the Orville Cox Tennis Center, Burnel outdueled Lamar’s Max Amling at No. 1 singles to earn a come-from-behind, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 win and secure UTRGV’s 4-3 victory over the Cardinals – the first win for the Vaqueros against Lamar since 2020.
Lamar (0-3) claimed a 1-0 lead after winning on all three doubles courts. The Cardinals extended their lead to 2-0 with a singles win on court five.
UTRGV (1-2) captured three consecutive singles wins to jump on top, 3-2. Junior Sam Whitehead got the Vaqueros on the board with a solid win at No. 3. He battled through a tight first set and a long, back-and-forth tiebreaker to get in control, 7-6 (11:9). Whitehead dominated the second set to secure his victory, handily taking the frame 6-1.
Freshman Santiago Serrano picked up his first collegiate win in comeback fashion on court four. After dropping the first set 3-6, Serrano’s energetic play got him back in the match with a 6-3 second set. He buckled down and was in the driver’s seat through the third to claim the win, 6-3.
Sophomore McAllen Memorial alum Agustin Salazar captured his second consecutive win at No. 2, defeating Leon Nickel 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. He was one of three Vaqueros to drop the first set of their respective matches and claw back to get a win. Salazar was strong from the baseline and kept himself and his teammates fired up.
Lamar knotted things up at 3-3 with a three-set win on court six.
Burnel and Amling treated the crowd to a back-and-forth match on the top court. Burnel cruised in the second set after dropping the first, then the two exchanged blows in the third. With all eyes on Court One, Burnel used a big serve to force a long return and clinch the win, then got engulfed by his team in celebration.
The Vaqueros are slated to play three matches this weekend in San Antonio. They’ll play at Incarnate Word and at St. Mary’s at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, and they have a 12 p.m. match at UTSA scheduled for Sunday.
UTRGV Results
Doubles (3, 2, 1)
1. Brandon Do/Leon Nickel (LU) def. Emilien Burnel/Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) 6-4
2. Max Amling/Haruki Omori-Cowie (LU) def. Paolo Bonaguro/Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) 6-3
3. Martin Garcia-Ripoll/Gustav Hasslegren (LU) def. Agustin Salazar/Will Roberts (UTRGV) 6-0
Singles (5, 3, 4, 2, 6, 1)
1. Emilien Burnel (UTRGV) def. Max Amling (LU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
2. Agustin Salazar (UTRGV) def. Leon Nickel (LU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
3. Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) def. Martin Garcia-Ripoll (LU) 7-6 (11:9), 6-1
4. Santiago Serrano (UTRGV) def. Brandon Do (LU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
5. Joan Crespo (LU) def. Paolo Bonaguro (UTRGV) 6-1, 6-4
6. Haruki Omori-Cowie (LU) def. Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
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