Chen, Huang Win Titles in Las Cruces

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Yue-Lin “Polly” Chen and Hsiang-Wen “Albie” Huang took home two of three singles titles at the Aggie Invitational, hosted by New Mexico State.  Overall, the Lobos, who didn’t have a fall season in 2020, went a combined 19-5 overall, and one of those losses was today in a final featuring two Lobos.

The big win occurred in the Crimson bracket, where Chen was the No. 4 seed.  She got to the final after a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win in the semifinals against the top-seed Harsha Challa of host New Mexico State.  In the final Chen couldn’t win a game in the opening set against Maryjoe Crisologo of Abilene Christian, losing 6-0.  However, she bounced back with a 6-3 win in the second set to force a 10-point third-set tiebreak to determine the winner.  It was a scuffle, but Chen prevailed 10-7 in the third for the Crimson title.

That meant two Lobos would win titles, because the Grey final was Lobo vs. Lobo as Albie Huang took on teammate Satoho Toriumi.  IN a close match, it was Huang that prevailed, winning 7-5, 7-5.  The other match for UNM was the White bracket final, and that’s the only one UNM lost.  Myu Kageyama, the three-seed, lost 6-4, 6-2 to top-seeded Mingfang Lisa Zhu of NMSU.

The Lobos now have a week off before heading to Salt Lake City to battle in the Utah Invitational from Oct. 1-3.