By Riley Vance—
Louisville men’s tennis (5-0) traveled to Waco, Texas Jan. 26 to compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kick-Off Weekend.
They picked up a 4-1 win over New Mexico in the first round.
Louisville had a rough start in doubles with a 6-4 loss on court three from sophomores Alex Wesbrooks and David Mizrahi. Junior Tin Chen and freshman Matthew Fung turned things around with a 6-3 win over New Mexico’s senior Dominic West and sophomore Facundo Bermejo. The Cards secured the doubles point with another 6-3 win from sophomores Fabien Salle and Sergio Hernandez.
Heading into singles, senior Clement Filho kept the winning streak going with a 6-2, 6-4 win over New Mexico’s sophomore sophomore Nicolas Prieto.
New Mexico fought back by taking over court five and putting a point on the scoreboard.
No. 42 ranked Chen put Louisville back in the lead after defeating West 6-0, 7-6(3).
Hernandez fought in the third set to secure Louisville’s final point, clinching the match for the Cards (6-4, 1-6, 6-3).
Salle and Mizrahi’s matches were left unfinished.
“Very proud how the guys competed today,” said head coach Rodrigo da Silva. “After we won the doubles point, New Mexico played well and gained momentum. Our guys stayed tough throughout the match and we were able to get the win.”
Photo courtesy from Louisville Athletics
