TULSA, Okla. - The UC Irvine men's tennis team got out to a strong start Saturday at the ITA All-American Championships.
 
Enrique Luque Rico and Noah Zamora led six Anteaters on the first day of prequalifying singles as they both advanced to tomorrow's Round of 64.

Luque Rico opened with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Indiana's Jagger Saylor. He then took down Hank Trondson of Oklahoma, 6-3, 6-1.

Zamora netted a pair of three-set wins. He kicked off the afternoon with a 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-3 triumph over Deji Thomas-Smith of Liberty, prior to outlasting UNLV's Anton Ornberg, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-0.
 
Brandon Park and Ali Amiri also won their first-round matches. Park dispatched David Mamalat of Presbyterian College, 6-2, 6-1, while Amiri upended Illinois State's Arvid Hjalte, 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3. Park and Amiri both fell in the Round of 128. 
 
The 'Eaters return to action tomorrow for the second day of the ITA All-American Championships.
 

Round of 128
Enrique Luque Rico (UCI) def. Hank Trondson (Oklahoma) 6-3, 6-1
Erik Schiessl (Oklahoma State) def. Ali Amiri (UCI) 6-0, 6-1
Ishaan Ravichander (Columbia) def. Brandon Park (UCI) 6-2, 6-0
Noah Zamora (UCI) def. Anton Ornberg (UNLV) 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-0
 
Round of 256
Oliver Okonkwo (Illinois) def. Hiroki Sakagawa (UCI) 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3
Ali Amiri (UCI) def. Arvid Hjalte (Illinois State) 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3
Conor Gannon (Memphis) def. Rithvik Krishna (UCI) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Enrique Luque Rico (UCI) def. Jagger Saylor (Indiana) 6-3, 6-4
Brandon Park (UCI) def. David Mamalat (Presbyterian) 6-2, 6-1
Noah Zamora (UCI) def. Deji Thomas-Smith (Liberty) 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3