LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's tennis team had a great showing in its fall season-opening Aggie Invitational at home Friday.
 
Doubles action started things off with three of the four Aggie pairs advancing to the next round, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. (MT) Saturday, Sept. 15, at the NM State Tennis Center. Stijn de Haan and Mauri Benitez, who had a bye in the opening round will face a mixed doubles team consisting of NM State's Yusuke Nishitani and Abilene Christian's Joaquin Delgado due to some last minutes changes.
 

@NMStateMTEN kicked off the season today with the Aggie Invitational. The tournament continues tomorrow and concludes on Sunday at the NM State Tennis Center! #AggieUp pic.twitter.com/nwDhSrpdTF

— NM State AggieVision (@NMSUAggieVision) September 14, 2018

Playing with a new doubles partner, Luis Flores teamed up with freshman Martin Simecek for a 6-1 victory over New Mexico Military Institute's Christopher Bulus and Emanuel Mallya. At the bottom of the bracket, Louis Menard and Enrique Asmar disposed of their counterparts from Mesa Community College 6-2. Nicolas Buitrago and Alejandro Rosas Garcia fought valiantly despite playing together for the first time, but ultimately fell in a heartbreaking 7-6 decision.
 
In the top half of the main singles draw, de Haan rolled past his opponents from NMMI and Arizona and could battle Martin Simecek, who also won his first two matches, should the two pick up wins in their quarterfinal match Saturday. In the bottom-half of the singles draw, Flores beat out Rosas Garcia in a heated 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 match for a date with Menard in the quarterfinals. Menard had a great start to the day, blanking his opponent from MCC before taking down WNMU's top singles player 6-3, 6-1.
 
Benitez also had a strong showing in the opening rounds of singles action, allowing just one point his first three sets of action before claiming the fourth set 7-5. The wins have Benitez paired up against Mesa Community College's Kyryll Kryvchun in the quarterfinals beginning at 10 a.m. (MT). Nishitani fell in his opening match to Fraboulet, who later lost to Menard, but recovered in his consolation match to win 6-2, 6-1 against the Thunderbirds' Yuri Jacob Salzano.
 
In the singles back draw, Buitrago will battle WNMU's David Valles while Rosas Garcia will face off against Fraboulet.

Fans can catch the NM State men's tennis team all weekend for free at the NM State Tennis Center.