LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Back to WAC play, back to the win column.

The NM State men's tennis team began Western Athletic Conference play with a 5-1 triumph over UTRGV Friday at the NM State Tennis Complex.

DOUBLES
• Able to start league action off strong, NM State made quick work of UTRGV in doubles action to grab a lead it never gave up.
• Gijs Akkermans and Corey Clarke ceded just a single game to secure a 6-1 win over George Hutchings and Alberto Mello.
• Following a win on line two, NM State sealed the doubles point thanks to the teamwork of Martin Simecek and Itay Feigin. They doubled up Chris Lawrance and George Hutchings by a 6-3 score to put NM State's lead at 1-0.

SINGLES
• Clarke continued his strong day once one-on-one play got going. The Australian collected a 6-0, 6-0 shutout win over Hutchings on line three, pushing the Aggies' lead to 2-0 in the process.
• Jordy Visser put NM State just a single point away from victory in his line six battle. Visser posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Lawrance.
• UTRGV staved off defeat for a brief moment after Simecek wound up on the wrong end of a 6-3, 6-3 decision against Carlo Izurieta.
• Each of the final two singles bouts that counted in the final tally concluded at roughly the same time. Louis Menard locked up the win with his 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 victory over Misha Kvantaliani.
• Moments after Menard's match wrapped up, Akkermans completed his 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over Whitehead to wrap things up.

COMING UP NEXT
• NM State stays in league play Sunday morning when it hosts Grand Canyon in a rematch of the 2021 WAC Tournament championship match. First serve is set for 10:00 a.m. at the NM State Tennis Complex.

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