DAVIS, Calif. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's tennis team dropped a pair of matches to the Saint Mary's College (SMC) Gaels, 4-3, and the UC Davis (UCD) Aggies, 4-0, to open the Golden State Invitational Friday at the Marya Welch Tennis Center. 
 
The Vaqueros (2-12, 0-0 Southland Conference) got off to a 1-0 start against the Gaels (2-9, 0-0 West Coast Conference) after a strong doubles session. UTRGV picked up a pair of 6-4 wins on the second and third doubles courts to come from behind and clinch the point after SMC won the first flight. Redshirt junior Sam Whitehead and sophomorePaolo Bonaguro earned a win in the second flight and the team of sophomore Ivo Isqueiro and freshman Eduardo Menezes secured the point with a victory in the third flight. 
 
The Gaels flipped the scoreboard and took a 3-1 lead with singles wins in the third, fifth and fourth flights. UTRGV rallied back as sophomore Will Roberts and Isqueiro battled for three-set wins to knot the match at 3-3. 
 
Roberts responded after dropping the first set on Court Six to Aidan Watt to control the next two and pick up a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory. Isqueiro endured a lengthy first set on Court Two to earn a comeback victory, 6-7 (1:7), 6-2, 6-3, over Paulo Etchecoin. 
 
Whitehead was competitive in a tough first-flight match but SMC's Carlos Ramos took the 4-6, 7-6 (7:5), 6-2 win to clinch the 4-3 victory for the Gaels. 
 
UTRGV returned to the court after a short break to battle the co-hosting Aggies. UC Davis (8-4, 2-0 Big West) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with wins on the first and second doubles courts. Isqueiro and Menezes were leading, 5-3, on Court Three, but the match went unfinished when the doubles point was secured. 
 
The Aggies extended their lead to 3-0 with straight set wins in the fifth and sixth singles matches. Lucas Bollinger clinched the match with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 2. 
 
UTRGV will wrap up the Golden State Invitational Saturday at 12 p.m. at Sacramento State. 
 
Results vs. Saint Mary's College 
Doubles 
1. Carlos Ramos/Thibaud Maxant (SMC) def. Santiago Serrano/Loic Young Kriegel (UTRGV) 6-1
2. Sam Whitehead/Paolo Bonaguro (UTRGV) def. Paulo Etchecoin/Ellison Greco (SMC) 6-4
3. Eduardo Menezes/Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) def. Aidan Watt/Francisco Duran (SMC) 6-4
 
Singles  
1. Carlos Ramos (SMC) def. Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) 4-6, 7-6 (7:5), 6-2
2. Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) def. Paulo Etchecoin (SMC) 6-7 (1:7), 6-2, 6-3
3. Thibaud Maxant (SMC) def. Paolo Bonaguro (UTRGV) 6-1, 6-1 
4. Finley Dyer (SMC) def. Santiago Serrano (UTRGV) 6-2, 6-3 
5. Francisco Duran (SMC) def. Loic Young Kriegel (UTRGV) 6-1, 6-1 
6. Will Roberts (UTRGV) def. Aidan Watt (SMC) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 
 
Results @ UC Davis 
Doubles 
1. Lucas Bollinger/Kaveh Taheri (UCD) def. Santiago Serrano/Loic Young Kriegel (UTRGV) 6-2
2. Ryan Torres/Ivan Savkin (UCD) def. Sam Whitehead/Paolo Bonaguro (UTRGV) 6-2 
3. Eduardo Menezes/Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) vs. Perry Di Giulio/Sam De Vries (SMC) 5-3, unf. 
 
Singles 
1. Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) vs. Ryan Torres (UCD) 6-4, 4-6, 2-2, unf. 
2. Lucas Bollinger (UCD) def. Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 
3. Santiago Serrano (UTRGV) vs. Rithvik Katpelly (UCD) 6-7 (6:8), 4-5, unf. 
4. Loic Young Kriegel (UTRGV) vs. Perry Di Giulio (UCD) 6-4, 5-6, unf. 
5. Sam De Vries (UCD) def. Will Roberts (UTRGV) 6-0, 6-2 
6. Ivan Savkin (UCD) def. Eduardo Menezes (UTRGV) 7-6 (7:2), 6-4 

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