UNLV tennis player fights through injury to compile wins

UNLV women's tennis player Paola Artiga on January 9, 2017. (R. Marsh Starks / UNLV Photo Services)

UNLV women's tennis player Paola Artiga on January 9, 2017. (R. Marsh Starks / UNLV Photo Services)

The plan was to play proven veteran Paola Artiga as the No. 3 seed, but as tendinitis in her left wrist became more unbearable, UNLV had to turn to a different option.

Coach Kevin Cory made what could have been the difficult decision to drop his senior standout to the fifth spot.

Turned out, it wasn’t a difficult talk. Artiga was receptive from the beginning, and she has made the most of the situation, going 17-8 in singles, including 11-6 in dual matches, and posting a team-best 18 doubles victories with just eight losses.

“At the beginning, it was really hard because I think (the injury) did affect my confidence a lot,” Artiga said. “If my forehand is not good, I struggle a lot. But now I’m feeling better. I’m handling it better now.”

Artiga will help lead the top-seeded Rebels into the Mountain West tournament, which begins Thursday. The Rebels are the defending champions, and will have home-court advantage by playing at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

“We’ve got the team we want going into the tournament,” Cory said. “I think in order for somebody to win it, they’re going to have to go through us, which is a good feeling. Last year, we had to go through Fresno (State) to win it. This year, that also puts a target on your back when everybody wants to beat you, but we’re ready for that.”

Artiga signed with UNLV out of San Salvador, El Salvador, where she was ranked No. 1 in 16-and-under and 18-and-under.

She played mostly at No. 4 in 2015, going 25-7 overall, including 16-4 in dual matches. Artiga rose to spend most of last season at No. 3, and went 30-7 overall, including 17-1 in duals.

Then Artiga entered this season at No. 3 before the injury set in.

“She’s hitting a lot of sliced backhands instead of the two-handed backhand,” Cory said. “Playing at 3, that can be pretty tough to get away with. Playing down lower in the lineup, she’s talented enough to be able to run around and hit her forehand a little bit more.

“You love the fact that kids want to play higher in the lineup. The tough sell is you convince the No. 6 that her point counts for one, the same as the No. 1 counts.”

But Cory knew the high character of this particular player.

She made the Academic All-Mountain West team each of the past two seasons, and is the team’s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Artiga knew she had to make a change for the good of the team.

This is a player who has delivered throughout her UNLV career, going 86-32, tied for ninth all time for the Rebels. Her 72.9 career winning percentage ranks seventh.

She will graduate in December with a degree in international business, and will later pursue a master’s degree. Artiga wants to be a certified public accountant.

Where she gets her master’s is another question.

“I really like it here,” Artiga said. “I like the weather, the people. All my friends are here. But I might want to see something new, too. I don’t know. I’m still deciding.”

Men’s golf

No. 14-ranked UNLV shot a 7-under par as a team on Sunday to rally to win the Mountain West tournament championship for the second season in a row. The Rebels were tied with Boise State and two shots behind Colorado State, and then beat the Rams by a stroke and the Broncos by two.

John Oda shot a 2-over 74 in the final round at the OMNI Tucson (Arizona) National, but he was 6-under for the tournament to lead the Rebels. Teammate Harry Hall was just one shot behind.

Boise State’s Brian Humphreys was the tournament medalist at 12-under, shooting a 3-under 69 on the final day.

UNLV next will play in an NCAA regional beginning May 15.

Men’s tennis

The Rebels head into the three-day Mountain West tournament at Boise, Idaho, on Friday after going 17-8 (4-3 MW) in the regular season. Seedings will be determined on a conference call Monday because national rankings are part of the formula.

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.