The University of Louisville men’s tennis team emerged victorious in the consolation match at the ITA Kickoff site in Columbia, S.C. on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals swept their ACC rival, Clemson, with a final score of 4-0.
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.”
The match began with Clemson securing a win on Court 2 in doubles, defeating Will Mayew and Piet Steveker. However, Louisville swiftly responded with a victory on Court 1, as Etienne Donnet and Natan Rodrigues won 6-4, besting the No. 30 doubles duo in the country.
The deciding doubles point came down to Miguel Avendaño and Andre’ Steinbach on Court 3, who made a remarkable comeback to win 7-6, ultimately clinching the tiebreaker point with a score of 7-3.
In the singles competition, Steveker secured the first win for the Cardinals on Court 6, defeating his Clemson opponent with a score of 6-4, 6-1. Mayew followed closely on Court 4, with yet another dominant victory. He remains undefeated in singles this spring, boasting a perfect 5-0 record after winning his match 6-3, 6-1.
For the second weekend in a row, Rodrigues scored the match point for Louisville, triumphing on Court 2 with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Next up for the Cardinals is one more road match before a nine-game home stretch. Louisville will face in-state rivals No. 10 Kentucky in the Battle of the Bluegrass on Friday in Lexington at 5 p.m. ET.
Details of the match:
Louisville Men’s Tennis 4, Clemson 0
Jan. 28, 2024, at Columbia, S.C. | Carolina Tennis Center
Singles competition:
1. #16 Etienne Donnet (LOU-MT) vs. Ryuhei Azuma (CU) 6-4, 6-5, unfinished
2. Natan Rodrigues (LOU-MT) def. Wissam Abderrhman (CU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Andre’ Steinbach (LOU-MT) vs. Marko Mesarovic (CU) 7-5, 4-3, unfinished
4. #56 Will Mayew (LOU-MT) def. Matt Pitts (CU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Kosuke Nakanishi (LOU-MT) vs. Stewart Aronson (CU) 6-2, 3-6, 1-1, unfinished
6. Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) def. Max Smith (CU) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition:
1. Etienne Donnet/Natan Rodrigues (LOU-MT) def. #30 Noa Vukadin/Max Smith (CU) 6-4
2. Marko Mesarovic/Stewart Aronson (CU) def. Will Mayew/Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) 6-3
3. Miguel Avendano/Andre’ Steinbach (LOU-MT) def. Ryuhei Azuma/Wissam Abderrhman (CU) 7-6 (7-3)
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,4,2)
