Tennis

Diallo, currently ranked No. 135 in the ATP Rankings, brings experience to the Davis Cup team, having already played in five ties during his young professional career. At just 22 years old, Diallo holds a record of 2-3 in these matches, including a significant victory over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti last year, who was ranked within the top 20 at the time. During his successful tenure at Kentucky, Diallo boasted an impressive overall singles record of 65-26 and was a three-time ITA All-American. He was named to the All-SEC First Team Selection twice and was also honored with a spot on the All-SEC Tournament Team in 2022. Diallo reached a career-high ITA ranking of No. 2 prior to the 2022 fall season and made it to the quarterfinal round at the NCAA Singles Championship in the same year.

Louisville started the match by dropping the doubles point, as Middle Tennessee claimed victories on courts two and three. Alessia Truden and Lilly-Sophie Schmidt defeated Louisville’s Jamilah Snells and Allie Gretkowski 6-1, while Sana Garakani and Eloise Swarbrick secured the point for Middle Tennessee with a 6-4 victory over Berta Miret and Lillian Mould.

Head coach Rodrigo da Silva expressed his pride in his team’s resilience, stating, “I am so proud of how the guys bounced back from yesterday. They played with a lot of energy, and they competed very hard. The schedule does not get any easier, so we need to work hard and stay focused.”

In the doubles competition, LSU’s duo of Stefan Latinovic and Chen Dong defeated Etienne Donnet and Natan Rodrigues at the top spot. The Tigers went on to clinch the doubles point after beating Will Mayew and Piet Steveker. However, Miguel Avendaño and Andre’ Steinbach managed to win the lone doubles match for the Cards, defeating Julien Penzlin and Alessio Vasquez.

The match got off to a rocky start for Kentucky as they dropped the doubles point, marking the first time this season that they have started a dual with a deficit. Charlotte took the opening set at No. 1 doubles, winning a tight 6-3 contest.

The Wildcats got off to a strong start by winning the doubles’ point, their third in four matches. After Notre Dame claimed a 6-1 victory at first doubles, Jaden Weekes and Eli Stephenson leveled the playing field with a 6-2 win over Nil Giraldez and Yu Zhang on court three. The doubles’ point ultimately came down to court two, where Taha Baadi and Matt Rankin overcame Notre Dame’s Chase Thompson and Evan Lee with a score of 6-4, giving Kentucky a 1-0 lead.

Louisville, with a record of 3-0, will face LSU in their first match-up on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET. The winner of this match will go on to play the winner of South Carolina vs. Clemson on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The consolation match will take place at 10 a.m. on the same day.

First up for Louisville will be Kennesaw State at 11 a.m. This will be the first time these two teams face off in program history. The Cardinals are coming off a strong start to their season with a 6-1 win over in-state rival Eastern Kentucky. Louisville dominated the match, winning all three doubles courts to secure the doubles point. Elena Noguero, Lika Peresypkina, Germany Davis, Allie Gretkowski, and Lillian Mould all came out victorious on their respective singles courts, with Davis’s win clinching the match for the Cardinals.

Following their game against Charlotte, the Wildcats will compete in the Carolina Regional on Saturday. They will face either UNC or Oregon, depending on the outcome of Friday’s games. This will be the first time this season that the Wildcats will play away from home.

Throughout the week, the Cardinals boasted a flawless 3-0 record, with Avendaño playing a crucial role in securing the doubles point in each match. His contribution cannot be overstated, as he consistently stepped up when it mattered most.