Rice University Athletics
Saturday, March 7
George R Brown Tennis Center
10 AM
Rice University
4
vs
0
UAB
Owls Win 2026 Ralph O'Connor Rice Invitational
3/7/2026 2:13:00 PM | Men's Tennis
HOUSTON – The Rice men's tennis team closed out the 67th Ralph O'Connor Rice Invitational with a 4-0 win over UAB at the George R. Brown Tennis Center.
The Owls won their 25th title in the event and improved to 6-6 on the season. Rice secured its sixth doubles point of the year, starting with Yair Sarouk and Kabeer Kapasi taking a 6-2 win on court one over Ondrej Valek and Juan Pablo Valdez.
UAB evened the doubles action when Tommy Czaplinski and Rafael Botran fell 7-5 to Tomas Tischner and Kaustubh Holcomb. To secure the doubles point, Petro Kuzmenok and Joshua Mandelbaum won a 7-6 match over Conor Flynn and Axel Frechet on court three.
Rice carried the momentum into singles, winning three straight matches to secure the victory. Kuzmenok started the Owls off with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Valek on court one. Noey Do followed with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Frechet on court six. To clinch the match, Gabriel Porras defeated Hoen Mouret 6-4, 6-1.
When play was halted, Botran led 7-5, 5-4 on court two, while Kapasi trailed 2-6, 6-6 on court three. Czaplinski was in a third set on court four with a 6-4, 3-6, 2-1 score.
The Owls will compete at FAU on Friday, March 13, in Boca Raton, Florida.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
O. Valek/J. Valdez (UAB) def. Y. Sarouk/K. Kapasi (RICE) 7-5
P. Kuzmenok/J. Mandelbaum (RICE) def. C. Flynn/A. Frechet (UAB) 7-6
T. Czaplinski/R. Botran (RICE) def. T. Tishner/K. Hocomb (UAB) 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
P. Kuzmenok (RICE) def. O. Valek (UAB) 7-5, 6-2
R. Botran (RICE) vs C. Flynn (UAB) 7-5, 5-4 uf
K. Kapasi (RICE) vs J. Valdez (UAB) 2-6, 6-6 uf
T. Czaplinski (RICE) vs T. Tischner (UAB) 6-4, 3-6, 2-1 uf
G. Porras (RICE) def. H. Mouret (UAB) 6-4, 6-1
N. Do (RICE) def. A. Frechet (UAB) 6-1, 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 5
The Owls won their 25th title in the event and improved to 6-6 on the season. Rice secured its sixth doubles point of the year, starting with Yair Sarouk and Kabeer Kapasi taking a 6-2 win on court one over Ondrej Valek and Juan Pablo Valdez.
UAB evened the doubles action when Tommy Czaplinski and Rafael Botran fell 7-5 to Tomas Tischner and Kaustubh Holcomb. To secure the doubles point, Petro Kuzmenok and Joshua Mandelbaum won a 7-6 match over Conor Flynn and Axel Frechet on court three.
Rice carried the momentum into singles, winning three straight matches to secure the victory. Kuzmenok started the Owls off with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Valek on court one. Noey Do followed with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Frechet on court six. To clinch the match, Gabriel Porras defeated Hoen Mouret 6-4, 6-1.
When play was halted, Botran led 7-5, 5-4 on court two, while Kapasi trailed 2-6, 6-6 on court three. Czaplinski was in a third set on court four with a 6-4, 3-6, 2-1 score.
The Owls will compete at FAU on Friday, March 13, in Boca Raton, Florida.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
O. Valek/J. Valdez (UAB) def. Y. Sarouk/K. Kapasi (RICE) 7-5
P. Kuzmenok/J. Mandelbaum (RICE) def. C. Flynn/A. Frechet (UAB) 7-6
T. Czaplinski/R. Botran (RICE) def. T. Tishner/K. Hocomb (UAB) 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES
P. Kuzmenok (RICE) def. O. Valek (UAB) 7-5, 6-2
R. Botran (RICE) vs C. Flynn (UAB) 7-5, 5-4 uf
K. Kapasi (RICE) vs J. Valdez (UAB) 2-6, 6-6 uf
T. Czaplinski (RICE) vs T. Tischner (UAB) 6-4, 3-6, 2-1 uf
G. Porras (RICE) def. H. Mouret (UAB) 6-4, 6-1
N. Do (RICE) def. A. Frechet (UAB) 6-1, 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 5
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
12
Ondrej Valek / 0 [UAB]
52
76
#2 Singles Match
123
Conor Flynn / 0 [UAB]
540
75UF
#3 Singles Match
123
Juan Pablo Valdez / 0 [UAB]
660
26UF
#4 Singles Match
123
Tomas Tischner / 0 [UAB]
461
63UF
#5 Singles Match
12
Hoan Mouret / 0 [UAB]
41
66
#6 Singles Match
12
Axel Frechet / 0 [UAB]
15
67
Order of Finish:
1,6,5
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ 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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