DAVIS, Calif. – The UT Arlington men's tennis team advanced to the Golden State Invitational Championship match on Friday, defeating UC Davis and Portland on the campus of UC Davis.
 
UTA vs UC DAVIS RECAP
The match began with a doubles point thriller.  The Aggies took Court One 6-2 over Alejandro Hayen and Alan Sau Franco before Eduard Simo and Solano Caffarena tied the doubles with a 6-2 win on Court Two.  Angel Diaz and Miguel Cabrera played an intense 7-6 match.  The Maverick tandem won the tiebreaker 12-10 as both teams fought tooth and tail, but it was UTA who earned the doubles point.
 
Ricardo Alban was the first to finish their singles matches, winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 on Court Five. Alejandro Hayen fell on Court Two 7-5, 6-2 to make the match score 2-1. The Aggies evened the score with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 win over Alan Sau Franco on Court Four.  Miguel Cabrera quickly put the Mavs back on top with a 6-3, 7-5 win on Court Three to put the Mavs one win away from clinching the match. The Aggies evened the match again with a win over Eduard Simo on Court Six 6-0, 3-6, 7-5.
 
The match came down to Angel Diaz on Court One.  After winning the first set 7-5, he fell 5-7 in set two.  With all eyes on him, he battled to a 7-6 win in set three to win the match and give the Mavericks the victory.
 
UTA vs PORTLAND RECAP
For a second match, the Mavericks won the doubles point. Portland took the first doubles match on Court Three, 6-2 over Miguel Cabrera and Angel Diaz, but 6-4 wins on Court One and Two gave the Mavericks the doubles point.
 
Portland took two matches in singles defeating Ricardo Alban on Court Four 6-3, 6-4 and Eduard Simo on Court Five 6-4, 6-3. That is all UTA would hand them, however, coming away with victories in No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles.  Hayen took Court One 7-5, 6-3, while Miguel Cabrera took Court Two 6-4, 7-5.  Sau Franco had some extra work cut out for him after losing the first set 6-2, but bounced back with 6-4, 6-3 wins in sets two and three to clinch the win for the Mavericks.
 
The Mavericks will play in the championship match of the Golden State Invitational tomorrow morning (9:30 a.m.) against Saint Mary's on Sacramento's campus.