Sunday, January 11
Harlingen, TX
11 AM
Rice University
4
at
1
UTRGV
Rice Secures First Win of 2026
1/11/2026 2:34:00 PM | Men's Tennis
HARLINGEN – Rice men's tennis secured its first dual win of the season Sunday, defeating UTRGV at the H-E-B Tennis Center.
The Owls needed all three doubles matches to earn the opening point. Petro Kuzmenok and Santiago Navarro put Rice on the board with a 6-1 victory over Ivo Isqueiro and Tsz Him Chan. UTRGV answered when Santiago Serrano and Loic Young topped Joshua Mandelbaum and Gabriel Porras, 6-2. Kabeer Kapasi and Yair Sarouk clinched the doubles point in a tiebreak, defeating Sam Whitehead and Will Roberts, 7-6 (11-9), to give Rice its first doubles point of the season. Kapasi and Sarouk also teamed together during the fall, finishing with a 4-4 doubles record.
Rice carried the momentum into singles play as Noey Do opened with a straight-set victory over Young, 6-3, 6-0. No. 79 Kuzmenok followed with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Sam Whitehead to extend the Owls' lead. UTRGV got on the board when Tsz Him Chan defeated Mandelbaum, 6-4, 6-3, but Kapasi quickly responded by clinching the match for Rice with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 victory over Serrano.
The remaining singles matches were halted following the clinch. Navarro was in the third set against Isqueiro, trailing 5-7, 6-2, 0-1, while Porras and Roberts were tied at 4-4 in the second set after Roberts took the first, 7-5.
Rice returns home next weekend to host the UTR College Series at the George R Brown Tennis Center.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
Petro Kuzmenok/Santiago Navarro (RICE) def. Ivo Isquiro/TszHimChan (UTRGV) 6-1
Kabeer Kapasi/Yair Sarouk (RICE) def. Sam Whitehead/Will Roberts (UTRGV) 7-6 (11-9)
Santiago Serrano/Loic Young (UTRGV) def. Joshua Mandelbaum/Gabriel Porras (RICE) 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
#79 Petro Kuzmenok (RICE) def. Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-4
Santiago Navarro (RICE) vs Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) 5-7, 6-2, 0-1 (unfinished)
Kabeer Kapasi (RICE) def. Santiago Serrano (UTRGV) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
Gabriel Porras (RICE) vs Will Roberts (UTRGV) 5-7, 4-4 (unfinished)
Noey Do (RICE) def. Loic Young (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-0
Tsz Him Chan (UTRGV) def. Joshua Mandelbaum (RICE) 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 6, 3
The Owls needed all three doubles matches to earn the opening point. Petro Kuzmenok and Santiago Navarro put Rice on the board with a 6-1 victory over Ivo Isqueiro and Tsz Him Chan. UTRGV answered when Santiago Serrano and Loic Young topped Joshua Mandelbaum and Gabriel Porras, 6-2. Kabeer Kapasi and Yair Sarouk clinched the doubles point in a tiebreak, defeating Sam Whitehead and Will Roberts, 7-6 (11-9), to give Rice its first doubles point of the season. Kapasi and Sarouk also teamed together during the fall, finishing with a 4-4 doubles record.
Rice carried the momentum into singles play as Noey Do opened with a straight-set victory over Young, 6-3, 6-0. No. 79 Kuzmenok followed with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Sam Whitehead to extend the Owls' lead. UTRGV got on the board when Tsz Him Chan defeated Mandelbaum, 6-4, 6-3, but Kapasi quickly responded by clinching the match for Rice with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 victory over Serrano.
The remaining singles matches were halted following the clinch. Navarro was in the third set against Isqueiro, trailing 5-7, 6-2, 0-1, while Porras and Roberts were tied at 4-4 in the second set after Roberts took the first, 7-5.
Rice returns home next weekend to host the UTR College Series at the George R Brown Tennis Center.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
Petro Kuzmenok/Santiago Navarro (RICE) def. Ivo Isquiro/TszHimChan (UTRGV) 6-1
Kabeer Kapasi/Yair Sarouk (RICE) def. Sam Whitehead/Will Roberts (UTRGV) 7-6 (11-9)
Santiago Serrano/Loic Young (UTRGV) def. Joshua Mandelbaum/Gabriel Porras (RICE) 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
#79 Petro Kuzmenok (RICE) def. Sam Whitehead (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-4
Santiago Navarro (RICE) vs Ivo Isqueiro (UTRGV) 5-7, 6-2, 0-1 (unfinished)
Kabeer Kapasi (RICE) def. Santiago Serrano (UTRGV) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
Gabriel Porras (RICE) vs Will Roberts (UTRGV) 5-7, 4-4 (unfinished)
Noey Do (RICE) def. Loic Young (UTRGV) 6-3, 6-0
Tsz Him Chan (UTRGV) def. Joshua Mandelbaum (RICE) 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 6, 3
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
12
66
Sam Whitehead / 0 [UTRGV]
34
#2 Singles Match
1234
5610
Ivo Isqueiro / 0 [UTRGV]
720UF
#3 Singles Match
12
76
Santiago Serrano / 0 [UTRGV]
63
#4 Singles Match
123
540
Will Roberts / 0 [UTRGV]
74UF
#5 Singles Match
12
66
Loic Young Kriegel / 0 [UTRGV]
30
#6 Singles Match
12
43
Tsz Him Chan / 0 [UTRGV]
66
Order of Finish:
5,1,6,3
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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