LAS VEGAS - One NM State women's tennis doubles team and another two singles competitors played their way into second-round matches Wednesday on day one of the ITA Mountain Regionals at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on the campus of UNLV.
DOUBLES
• Of the two doubles teams the Aggies put on the courts at the Fertitta Tennis Complex, just one moved on to the round of 32 in the main draw.
• Playing alongside one another for the first time, Harsha Challa and Lisa Zhu worked their way to he round of 32 by picking up an 8-3 triumph over the Utah State tandem of Annaliese County and Gabrielle Dekkers.
• Elsewhere down the bracket, Chloe Gavino and Gavi Kalaga were narrowly defeated by UNLV's Aura Fang and Coco Zhao. If Gavino and Kalaga play another doubles match, it will be on Friday when the list of added singles and doubles matches are announced.
SINGLES
• Though she didn't advance in the doubles bracket, Gavino found success in one-on-one play. NM State's junior picked up a 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 triumph against Nevada's Milka Genkova in opening-round action.
• Facing off against a Pac-12 competitor right out of the gates, Challa dropped her first-round showdown with Utah's Lindsay Hung by a 6-1, 6-2 tally.
• After moving on in doubles action, Zhu continued her strong collegiate start in singles play. NM State's freshman from Beijing, China, posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Air Force's Alexis Odom to join Gavino in the round of 64. With the victory, Zhu moved to 4-0 in singles action in the fall season.
• Kalaga forced a third set in her opening round matchup with Colorado's Ky Elton, but ultimately dropped a 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 match.
COMING UP NEXT
• Challa and Zhu are set to face off with Utah's pairing of Anastasia Goncharova and Linda Huang in second-round doubles action at 10:00 a.m. MT from the Fertitta Tennis Complex Thursday morning. Following doubles play, Gavino and Zhu will continue their run as two of the 64 competitors remaining in singles action.
++NM State++
