Rice University
UCSB
Men's Tennis Rallies for 4-3 Win at No. 53 UC Santa Barbara
3/11/2024 7:02:00 PM | Men's Tennis
SANTA BARBARA, California — Rice men's tennis outlasted No. 53 UC Santa Barbara for the 4-3 victory on Monday at the Arnhold Tennis Center. The win is the Owls' second over an ITA-ranked opponent away from home this season.
Doubles: Facing a doubles lineup featuring the nation's 42nd-ranked tandem, the Owls were unable to grab the opening point as the Gauchos jumped out to the first lead of the match with wins at the first and second positions of the lineup.
Singles: The Owls grabbed their first lead of the afternoon with victories at the fourth and fifth positions. First, freshman Petro Kuzmenok knotted things up with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at the No. 5s. Junior Emir Sendogan then pushed Rice ahead with a straight-sets win of his own at the fourth spot, 6-1, 6-2. After UCSB again regained the lead with wins at the top two spots of the lineup, junior Arthus de la Bassetiere fought back from a 4-0 deficit in the third set to claim a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win to tie the match at 3-3. Seconds later, sophomore Kabeer Kapasi cemented his own comeback victory after dropping the first set. Kapasi outlasted his Gaucho opponent in a third-set tiebreak, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5), to clinch the match for the Owls.
Up Next: The Owls head north along the coast of California to take on Cal Poly on Thursday, March 14, at 2 p.m. (CT).
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
4,5,2,1,3,6
Players Mentioned
