LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's tennis team returned home to the friendly confines of the NM State Tennis Center with a dominant 6-1 victory over UT Rio Grande Valley Friday afternoon.
 
The duo of Louis Menard and Enrique Asmar started it off for the Aggies with a 6-1 win on court No. 2 against UTRGV (3-16, 0-1 WAC) before the Vaqueros took court No. 3 from NM State's Nicolas Buitrago and Luis Flores 6-4.
 
With the match tied at 5-5, New Mexico State's top doubles tandem of Stijn de Haan and Mauri Benitez finished their opponents off for the 7-5 victory and clinched the doubles point for the Aggies.
 
Again, Menard made quick work of his opponent and gave NM State (10-8, 1-0 WAC) an early 2-0 lead with his 6-2, 6-1 win at the No. 2 singles slot. Buitrago regained his focus in singles action with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Zane Kohrs on court No. 6 – which gave the Aggies match point. Not too long after Buitrago wrapped up, de Haan bounced his counterpart at the top singles position 6-2, 6-3 to clinch the match for New Mexico State.
 
With the match in hand, Martin Simecek's contest on court No. 3 was shortened to a super tiebreaker – which the freshman couldn't hang on to despite taking the first set to give UTRGV its lone point 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4).
 
Like Simecek's match, Benitez had his match go to a super tiebreaker. The senior, however, was able to will his way to a win over Te Kani Williams 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-2) before Asmar fought tooth-and-nail to get the better of Clement Sarradin in a gusty super tiebreaker 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8).
 
New Mexico State returns to action this Saturday, March 30, at 9 a.m. (MT) against Chicago State before wrapping up the WAC pod against Kansas City on Sunday, March 31, at 1 p.m. Admission is free as always for all NM State men's and women's tennis matches. Saturday's morning match will also serve as Junior Aggie Day.