Rice University
Charlotte
Men's Tennis Staves Off No. 70 Charlotte for 4-3 Win
3/31/2024 3:51:00 PM | Men's Tennis
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Rice men's tennis staved off No. 70 Charlotte for a 4-3 victory on Sunday at the Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex. The Owls have now won eight consecutive matches, tied for the team's longest streak since winning 11 straight during the 2006 season.
Doubles: The Owls started fast as juniors Arthus de la Bassetiere and Eduardo Morais scored a 6-2 victory at the third spot in doubles play. In tight battles at the top two positions, senior Trinity Grear and freshman Petro Kuzmenok prevailed at court two, 7-5, to clinch the doubles point for Rice. At the top spot, senior Yasha Zemel and sophomore Kabeer Kapasi were in the midst of a tiebreak when the point was clinched.
Singles: Rice seemed on the verge of a quick victory in singles play as de la Bassetiere and junior Emir Sendogan each scored straight-set victories to put the Owls up, 3-0. At the third position, de la Bassetiere won, 6-4, 6-3, while Sendogan won at the fourth spot, 6-2, 7-5. The 49ers, however, roared back into the contest with wins at the second and sixth positions before tying the match at 3-3 with a win at the top spot in the lineup. At court five after dropping a tiebreaker to win in the second set, Kuzmenok trailed midway through the decisive third set before reeling off three consecutive games to score the 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4 victory to clinch Rice's eighth-consecutive victory.
Head coach Efe Ustundag: "What a great battle against a gritty Charlotte team on the road. We had a lot of momentum after the doubles and winning four first sets. But (Charlotte) didn't go away, which is what you'd expect from a well-coached team. I am very proud of our guys for staying focused and physical. Everyone did their part very well. We have one more tough road match before finishing the season at home. We're looking forward to a week of recovery and training before heading out to San Antonio to take on the Roadrunners."
Up Next: The Owls return to the Lone Star State to take on UTSA in San Antonio on Saturday, April 6, at 10 a.m. (CT).
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,4,2,6,1,5
Players Mentioned
