Rice University
Memphis
AAC CHAMPS! Rice Wins the 2025 American Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Championship
4/20/2025 2:54:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Navarro on court three breaks Memphis service to claim the title
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Santiago Navarro held strong and clinched the final point for Rice as the fifth-ranked Owls men's tennis team won its first American Athletic Conference Championship, 4-2, over the second-seeded and host Memphis Tigers at the Leftwich Tennis Center. The title represents Rice's first men's tennis conference title since 2016-17.
In doubles action, Rice took early leads on courts two and three at 1-0. Both sides went back and forth, with the Owls taking late leads on courts one and two. Petro Kuzmenok and Navarro were first to finish on court one with a 7-5 win. Arthus de la Bassetiere and Kabeer Kapasi on court two needed a tiebreaker at 6-6, but earned a 7-6 (7-4) victory to take the doubles point. Eduardo Morais and Tommy Czaplinski were tied at 5-5 when the doubles portion was called.
In singles, the Tigers were on the attack to start, quickly taking control of courts five and four to take a 2-1 lead, first with a 6-4, 6-4, win on five, followed by a 6-2, 7-5 win on four. Kapasi leveled the score at 2-2 with his 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, victory on the sixth line, setting up Kuzmenok to give Rice the lead seconds later with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, victory.
The match came down to courts one and three, where de la Bassetiere and Navarro were in battles in their third sets. Navarro would hold at 4-4 to take a 5-4 lead, and would break the Memphis serve from that point to win his third set, 6-4, earning Rice it's first conference championship in eight years.
Kabeer Kapasi was named the tournament most outstanding player after going 5-1 in the AAC Championship.
Rice will now await its NCAA postseason fate. The selection show is slated for Monday, April 28.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
S. Navarro/P. Kuzmenok (Rice) def. C. Gannon/P. Alemany (MEM), 7-5
A. de la Bassetiere/K. Kapasi (Rice) def. S. Reeve/H. Rock (MEM), 7-6 (4)
E. Morais/T. Czaplinski (Rice) vs. L. Sandoval Carvalho/M. Kudernatsch (MEM), 5-5 uf
Order of Finish: 1, 2
SINGLES
A. de la Bassetiere (Rice) vs. C. Gannon (MEM), 3-6, 7-6 (6), 3-5 uf
P. Kuzmenok (Rice) def. P. Alemany (MEM), 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
S. Navarro (Rice) def. H. Rock (MEM), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4
M. Kudernatsch (MEM) def. E. Sendogan (Rice), 6-2, 7-5
L. Sandoval Carvalho (MEM) def. T. Czaplinski (Rice), 6-4, 6-4
K. Kapasi (Rice) def. S. Reeve (MEM), 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 6, 2, 3
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:
5,4,6,2,3
Players Mentioned
