Tulane men’s tennis competes in Birmingham, Houston

Sophomore+Rafael+de+Alba+rips+a+shot.

Parker Waters

Sophomore Rafael de Alba rips a shot.

Frank Saldaña, Staff Reporter

There has been no shortage of competition for the Tulane University men’s tennis squad. In the last few weeks the team competed at the Country Club of Birmingham Invitational and Rice Invitational in Houston.

The team opened up competition at the Rice Invitational against Rice in doubles, but also faced University of Texas, San Antonio and SMU in singles and doubles competition. While not finishing the weekend with desired results, the team would quickly bounce back the next week in Birmingham, Alabama.

The tournament in Birmingham saw the squad finish with promising results, with every singles player winning their first round, and all three doubles squads winning one match or better. 

The second day of the tournament featured singles players Luka Petrovic and Luc Hoeijmans each advancing to the final round, creating an all-Tulane championship. The final day of competition saw players Petrovic and Fynn Kuenkler each win their singles draws, while the doubles team of Alex Bancilla and Rafael de Alba won their draw. Overall, the team competed remarkably, earning 21 victories within the first two days of play.

The tennis team is set to round out competition for the month of November, and the semester, at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association/Universal Tennis Ratings Invitational in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and will resume competition on Jan. 20 at the Alcorn State Doubleheader.

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