MORAGA, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's tennis team earned its first win of the young dual-match season in convincing fashion as it defeated Saint Mary's, 6-1, Sunday at Timothy Korth Tennis Complex.
 
The Anteaters (1-2) switched up their doubles lineup and it quickly paid off. Junior Mateusz Smolicki and sophomore Mark Peneff, who were playing together for the first time, dispatched Boris Reckow/James Watt, 6-2, at the top of the lineup.
 
The Gaels (2-4) answered with a 6-4 victory at No. 3, putting the fate of the doubles point on court two. Seniors Bruce Man-Son-Hing and Daniel Gealer stepped up to the challenge, upending Matis Bot/Karlo Divkovic, 7-5, to give the 'Eaters a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Man-Son-Hing notched his 40th career doubles win to put him in a tie for 30th in school history.
 
Peneff and Smolicki carried the momentum into their respective singles matches with each picking up a straight-set victory. Peneff toppled Felipe Rincon, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 2, while Smolicki took down Watt, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1.
 
Gealer then clinched the match with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 triumph over Divkovic on court three. It was Gealer's second dual win of the year, while he also improved to 31-12 in his two-plus seasons as an Anteater.
 
The rest of the courts continued to play out their singles matches. Junior Jeremy Merville recorded his second win of the weekend, coming from behind to top Abhishek Bastola, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, at the fourth spot.
 
Sophomore Mike Mkrtchian also earned a gritty three-set win at No. 6, outlasting Andy Watterson, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
 
UC Irvine returns to Northern California next weekend to continue its five-match road swing at Sonoma State (Feb. 15) and Pacific (Feb. 16).