ARLINGTON, Texas (March 27, 2026) – The UT Permian Basin men's tennis team won 5-2 over No. 28 (NAIA) Texas Wesleyan University in its final tune-up match heading into conference play.

UTPB lost the doubles point as all three matches finished with a 6-4 score. UTPB's lone win in doubles came in the first match at No. 1 doubles with a win by Nehal Naidoo and Kabir Chothani over William Bayliss and Alejo Zurmendi.

Down 1-0 and needing to make its move in singles, UTPB won each of the first five singles matches.

Andrew Hunsley defeated Ahmed Elkassas 6-0, 6-2 at No. 4 singles and Philipp Gaurieder defeated Carson Lajone 6-2, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. It was the first singles win of the season for Gaurieder.

At No. 2 singles, Naidoo pulled out a win in a first-set tiebreaker and then cruised in the second set to defeat Zurmendi 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 and put the Falcons one point away from the win. It was the team-leading fourth singles win of the season for Naidoo, who now has two wins at both No. 2 and No. 3 singles.

The clincher came at No. 5 singles as Enrique Silveira rolled in the first set before coming out on top in the close second set, 6-1, 7-5, vs. Alejandro Capilla Aparicio.

Chothani added a win at No. 3 singles, also needing to win a first-set tiebreaker before coming out on top in a close second set, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, over Malte Jon Sommer.
 
Results:
Doubles

• #1 – Nehal Naidoo/Kabir Chothani (UTPB) def. William Bayliss/Alejo Zurmendi (TWU) 6-4
• #2 – Malte Jon Sommer/Ahmed Elkassas (TWU) def. Andrew Hunsley/Lucas Nakasato (UTPB) 6-4
• #3 – Alejandro Capilla Aparicio/Carson Lajone (TWU) def. Philipp Gaurieder/Joao D'Amorim (UTPB) 6-4
• Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles

• #1 – William Bayliss (TWU) def. Lucas Nakasato (UTPB) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
• #2 – Nehal Naidoo (UTPB) def. Alejo Zurmendi (TWU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
• #3 – Kabir Chothani (UTPB) def. Malte Jon Sommer (TWU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
• #4 – Andrew Hunsley (UTPB) def. Ahmed Elkassas (TWU) 6-0, 6-2
• #5 – Enrique Silveira (UTPB) def. Alejandro Capilla Aparicio (TWU) 6-1, 7-5
• #6 – Philipp Gaurieder (UTPB) def. Carson Lajone (TWU) 6-2, 6-2
• Order of Finish: 4, 6, 2, 5, 3, 1

Team Records:

• Now with back-to-back wins heading into the start of conference action, UTPB improves to 3-8.
• It was UTPB's first match vs. TWU since a 5-2 win in 2020.
• TWU (10-6) had won four of its last five matches.

Next Up: Today was the beginning of three matches in three days for the Falcons. UT Permian Basin plays its first Lone Star Conference match of the season on Saturday, March 28, at The University of Texas at Dallas.