Kicking off their UAAP Season 86 campaign, the UST Female Tennisters secured an even slate in the first weekend of the women’s lawn tennis tournament at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, on Feb. 17 and 18.

In Saturday’s action, the Female Tennisters withstood the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 3-2, to notch their first win of the season.

The Female Tennisters, whose team finished with a bronze in Season 85, leaned on Alex Santos to start the series of matches, dominating Ateneo’s Tricia Howard, 6-0, 6-0.

Miles Vitaliano and Minette Bentillo then scored another sweep for UST as they bested Ateneo duo Nina Sandejas and Chelsea Roque, 6-2, 6-0.

Kaye Emana’s beating of the Blue Eagles’ Melanie Dizon, 7-5, 6-0, secured the victory for UST.

However, the Female Tennisters dropped their last two matches as UST’s duo Princess Gom-os, and Nicholas de la Rita fell short against Ateneo Miriam Garsin, and Althea Martinez, 6-1, 3-6, 2-6, before Justine Maneha faltered versus Blue Eagles’ Althea Ong, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

On Sunday, the Female Tennisters fell to the NU Lady Bulldogs, 2-3, in the same venue.

Emana and Santos replicated their wins in the first day, taking down NU’s JM Carcueva, 6-0, 6-1, and Elsie Abarquez, 6-8, 6-4, 6-3.

The duo of Gom-os and Bentillio, though, lost to the Lady Bulldogs’ Mar Bornia and Alian Ragunton, 5-7, 2-6, while VItaliano and Patricia Lim yielded versus Angela Cabaral and Rovie Baulete of NU, 2-6, 5-7.

The Female Tennister will face the UP Lady Maroons next Sunday, Feb. 25, at the same venue.