LOS ANGELES - The UC Irvine men's tennis team combined to win nine of its 12 singles matches to start the LMU Invitational.
 
On Friday, the Anteaters had five straight-set victories against Utah. At No. 5, Thomas Smart dispatched Rian Ta, 6-0, 6-1. Rithvik Krishna also cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Geremia Rossi at No. 3, while Enrique Luque Rico defeated Jayson Blando, 6-3, 6-2, on court two. Ali Amiri added a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Dylan Applegate at No. 4, and Matthew Sah picked up a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Charlie Spina at the sixth position.
 
In doubles, UCI won at the top two spots against fellow Big West member Cal Poly. Sah and Noah Zamora upended Colter Smith/Bastiaan Westrate at No. 1. Amiri and Smart also teamed up for a 6-4 win over Fernando Fonseca/Ben Keyser at No. 2.
 
On Saturday, the 'Eaters started with doubles against host Loyola Marymount. Ali Amiri and Rithvik Krishna highlighted the match-up with a hard-fought 7-6 (8) win over Lincoln Bellamy/Alvaro Gonzalez.
 
In singles, Luque Rico, Krishna, Amiri and Smart improved to 2-0 in the tournament. Luque Rico took down Smith in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Smart, meanwhile, outlasted Keyser 7-6 in the first set and carried the momentum into the second where he registered a 6-1 victory.
 
Krishna bounced back from an opening-set loss to defeat Weststrate, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4. Amiri also won in three, topping Aaron Eliscu, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.
 
UC Irvine will close out the LMU Invitational, and its fall tournament season, Sunday with singles against Utah and doubles against Loyola Marymount.