MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Auburn University at Montgomery tennis programs continue to gain national recognition, with both the men's and women's teams competing among the top ranks in Division II. Facing elite competition on the road, the Warhawks showcased their ability to compete with some of the nation's premier programs.
Men Ranked Nationally at No. 36
On the men's side, the Warhawks checked in at No. 36 nationally after facing No. 12 Lee last week. The Warhawks opened the match strong behind a doubles victory from Guillermo Vedia Sanchez and Mark Nawa over Lee's Rytis Razminas and Francisco Guimaraes at the No. 3 position. Giuseppe Bonaiuti and Jami Savolainen clutched a 6-4 win over the Flames' Quinn Groenendijk and Jip Langerhuizen at the top doubles spot to earn the doubles point and put the Warhawks ahead 1-0. The Flames swept the singles matches, resulting in a 6-1 loss for AUM.
Singles Spotlight: No. 65 Jami Savolainen
Savolainen faced Lee's No. 32 Quinn Groenendijk at the No. 2 singles position, dropping a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) decision in a matchup between nationally ranked opponents.
Singles Spotlight: No. 67 Giuseppe Bonaiuti
Bonaiuti competed at the top singles position against No. 13 Filipe Krohn of the No. 12 Lee Flames, falling 6-2, 7-5 in a hard-fought match.
Singles Spotlight with No. 12 Melissa Yakup Pour
No. 12 Melissa Yakup Pour competed at the top singles position for the Warhawks. Yakup Pour faced No. 24 Rima Yoshida of No. 29 Lee and came out strong, taking the opening set 6-4. Yoshida responded to claim the match in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
No. 21 Melissa Yakup Pour and Nagisa Yonezawa Shine in Doubles Play
No. 21 Melissa Yakup Pour and Nagisa Yonezawa continued their climb in the national rankings after checking in at No. 25 last week. Competing at the No. 1 doubles position, the duo help secure the doubles point for the Warhawks with a statement win over Lee's No. 50-ranked pair of Rima Yoshida and Andrea Pascual. Yakup Pour and Yonezawa battled through a tightly contested match, ultimately prevailing 7-6 (16-14) in an extended tiebreak.
Up Next
The Warhawks will close out the regular season with a Senior Day match against the Montevallo Falcons. First serve from Montgomery is set for 1 p.m. on Friday, April 17.
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