LAS CRUCES, N.M. — UTSA won its third consecutive match and handed New Mexico State its first home loss of the season with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory on Saturday.
The Roadrunners (6-3) had to fight through some adversity after losing Alena Shichkova to injury just two points into doubles play.
That allowed the Aggies (4-4) to claim an early lead after UTSA's top team of Jacobea Junger and Shichkova were forced to retire and Rimpledeep Kaur and Ashvary Shrivastava cruised to a 6-1 triumph against Daniela Garcia-Diaz and Miriam Rosell Canudas on the second court.
However, the Roadrunners rallied to win four of the six singles contests to clinch the victory.
Junger won in straight sets against Shrivastava, the nation's 110th-ranked player, at the top spot of the lineup by scores of 6-3 and 6-1, while Irene Gandara Gonzalez also won in two stanzas, 6-1 and 6-4, against Denise Van Der Ben at the fifth position.
UTSA's other two wins came in three sets, as Nicole Karaklis improved to a team-leading 7-1 this season with her 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-2 victory against Kaur on the third court and Sonia Madroñal Medina downed Mia Brandt by scores of 6-3, 4-6 and 7-6 (7-4) at the sixth spot in her first appearance of the spring.
The Roadrunners will conclude their weekend road trip at 1 p.m. (CT) on Sunday at UTEP (5-2).
UTSA 4, New Mexico State 3
Doubles
1. Alcaraz/Castillo Lopez (NMSU) def. Karaklis/Shichkova (UTSA) retired
2. Kaur/Shrivastava (NMSU) def. Garcia-Diaz/Rosell Canudas (UTSA) 6-1
3. Hallgren/Junger (UTSA) def. Brandt/Jolliff (NMSU) 4-3, unfinished
Singles
1. Jacobea Junger (UTSA) def. #110 Ashvary Shrivastava (NMSU) 6-3, 6-1
2. Susana Alcaraz (NMSU) def. Miriam Rosell Canudas (UTSA) 6-1, 6-4
3. Nicole Karaklis (UTSA) def. Rimpledeep Kaur (NMSU) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-2
4. Erika Castillo Lopez (NMSU) def. Lina Hallgren (UTSA) 7-6 (7-5), 6-0
5. Irene Gandara Gonzalez (UTSA) def. Denise Van Der Ben (NMSU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Sonia Madroñal Medina (UTSA) def. Mia Brandt (NMSU) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4)