WACO – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's tennis team battled through a long day of singles matches Thursday and went 3-7 in the Qualifying Round at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Texas Regional Championships at Baylor's Hurd Tennis Center. 
 
Sophomore Borna Devald got an automatic bid to the Singles Main Draw Round of 64, which begins Friday. The five other Vaqueros competing at the regional tournament needed two wins Thursday to advance from the Qualifying Round to the Main Draw. 
 
Sophomore Karlo Krolo and junior Emilien Burnel both won their Qualifying Round of 64 singles matches to move on to the Round of 32, but neither will be moving on to the Main Draw. Krolo beat UIW's Andoni Garmendia 6-3, 7-5 then fell in a hard-fought match against Santiago Navarro from Rice, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Burnel defeated Abilene Christian's Jose Maria Rastrojo 6-4, 7-6 (3) to capture his fourth straight singles victory, but lost 6-1, 6-0 to UTSA's Danijal Muminovic in the Round of 32. 
 
Senior Chris Lawrance, sophomore Sam Whitehead and senior Te Kani Williams dropped their opening matches in the Qualifying Round and moved to the Consolation Draw. Whitehead picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win in his second match over Abilene Christian's Noah Wheen after losing his first 6-3, 6-0 to UT-Arlington's Anton Shepp. Williams battled but was defeated 7-6 (2), 6-1 by Rice's Kabeer Kapasi and 0-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10) by TAMUCC's Ulysse Bertrand. Lawrance fell 6-3, 6-3 to UTSA's Miguel Alonso and 6-3, 6-4 to SMU's Blaine Hovenier.  
 
The Vaqueros will be back in action Friday for Day 2 of the ITA Texas Regional starting with three doubles matches all at 9 a.m. Burnel/Devald will face UTSA's Garrett Skelly/Andrew Keene. Krolo and Whitehead will take on Rice's Wes Barnett/Trinity Grear. Lawrance/Williams will play TAMUCC's Ulysse Bertrand/Lucas Schurdevin. Winning teams will play a second match Friday in the Round of 32. 
 
Devald will play Lamar's Elias Peter at 1 p.m. in the Singles Main Draw Round of 64. 
 
UTRGV Thursday Results 
Singles – Qualifying Round of 64 
Karlo Krolo (UTRGV) def. Andoni Garmendia (UIW) 6-3, 7-5 
Miguel Alonso (UTSA) def. Chris Lawrance (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-3 
Emilien Burnel (UTRGV) def. Jose Maria Rastrojo (ACU) 6-3, 7-6 (3) 
Anton Shepp (UTA) def. Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-0 
Kabeer Kapasi (RU) def. Te Kani Williams (UTRGV) 7-6 (2), 6-1 
 
Singles – Qualifying Round of 32 
Santiago Navarro (RU) def. Karlo Krolo (UTRGV) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 
Danijal Muminovic (UTSA) def. Emilien Burnel (UTRGV) 6-1, 6-0 
 
Singles – Qualifying Consolation  
Blaine Hovenier (SMU) def. Chris Lawrance (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-4  
Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) def. Noah Wheen (ACU) 6-2, 6-3  
Ulysse Bertrand (TAMUCC) def. Te Kani Williams (UTRGV) 0-6, 6-3, 1-0  (12-10) 
 
Friday Schedule
Doubles – Round of 64 
Emilien Burnel/Borna Devald (UTRGV) vs. Garrett Skelly/Andrew Keene (UTSA), 9 a.m. 
Karlo Krolo/Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) vs. Wes Barnett/Trinity Grear (RU), 9 a.m. 
Chris Lawrance/Te Kani Williams (UTRGV) vs. Ulysse Bertrand/Lucas Schurdevin (TAMUCC), 9 a.m. 
 
Doubles – Round of 32 
Matchups TBD 
 
Singles – Main Draw Round of 64 
Borna Devald (UTRGV) vs. Elias Peter (LU), 1 p.m. 

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