Aggie Invitational Draws (through day two)

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The possibility of championships in both doubles and singles action is still a reality for the NM State women's tennis team in its first fall event of the season.
 
NM State moved one singles player on to a championship match and two of the Aggies' four doubles pairings advanced to the semifinal round on day two of the Aggie Invitational Saturday at the NM State Tennis Complex.
 
DOUBLES
• There remains a chance for an all-Aggie championship match in tandem action. The NM State tandems of Chloe Gavino and Mingfang Zhu as well as Harsha Challa and Georgia Townsend both advanced to the doubles bracket semifinal round.
• Gavino and Zhu began their day with a 6-0 shutout win over Arizona Christian's Samantha Salim and Sylvie Schoenen. From there, NM State's pairing picked up a big 7-5 victory against New Mexico's Hsuan Huang and Yue Lin "Polly" Chen to remaing in the winner's bracket.
• Challa and Townsend bested Abilene Christian's Paula Garrote and Danielle Viljoen by a 6-2 tally before punching their ticket to the semifinal round. In the quarterfinals, NM State's formidable duo took down UTEP's twosome of Lyric Bonilla and Laura Schmitz by a 7-5 tally.
• The Aggies' other two doubles teams found themselves in the back draws after losing their round of 16 matches Saturday morning.
 
SINGLES
• Zhu's quality play extended into singles action, too, as one of the newest Aggies will play for a singles championship in the White Draw. The Beijing, China, product took out Abilene Christian's Andrea Guerrero by a 6-3, 6-4 score to move on to Sunday morning's White Draw championship match.
• Gavi Kalaga is set to play for a third-place finish in the White Draw after falling in the semifinals. She made her way to the semis with a 6-2, 6-1 win over UTEP's Eve Daniels, but lost her next match with a trip to the championship at stake.
• Both Cartis and Nguyen won their singles matches in back draw action and will conclude their respective runs Sunday.
• Challa and Gavino will play in the third-place match of the Crimson Draw Sunday after losing in the semifinals.
 
COMING UP NEXT
• The third and final day of the Aggie Invitational is set for Sunday at the NM State Tennis Complex. Doubles action will begin at 9:00 a.m. while singles matches are scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m.
 
++NM State++