NEW ORLEANS – For the second straight day, the University of New Orleans tennis programs beat a local rival, besting Xavier (La.) on Saturday afternoon at the University Tennis Center.
The UNO men (8-2) won their fifth straight match by defeating XULA (11-7) 4-3 with the Privateer women (5-7) collecting their second straight victory by a 5-1 result over the Golden Nuggets (3-13).
In the men's match, XULA won three of five contested singles' matches and split the doubles' matches. Despite this advantage, UNO squeaked by thanks to the Gold Rush playing with just five players.
In doubles' action, a Vinay Kamineni and Abdelrahman Zaki win over Sean Richardson and Steffen Giles-Osborn by a 8-4 result at the No. 2 court clinched the doubles' point.
When play turned to singles', UNO needed just two wins to secure the match after Rohit Chivukula was a walkover winner at No. 6. Zaki and fellow Eygptian Hossam Meligy came through with wins at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions to clinch the match.
Meligy was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Amir Rahbar at No. 4 with Zaki clinching the dual with a come-from-behind 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Zach Taylor.
Unlike the men's match, the women's dual was never in question.
Amber Garza and Kozue Matsumoto improved to 9-3 on the season in doubles' play with an 8-0 blanking of Nicole and Melissa DeLoach at the No. 1 court. Sofija Karalic and Kristina Martic also were victorious with an 8-4 win at No. 2 over Cameron Nelson and Ashley McGill.
McGill won at No. 5 by walkover before UNO stormed the Golden Nuggets with straight set wins at each of the remaining four courts.
Matsumoto won 6-0, 6-1 over Amber Brown at No. 1 with Martic matching the score at the No. 2 position over Melissa DeLoach. Garza won at No. 3 by a 6-2, 6-4 result over Nelson with Karalic completing the dual win with a 7-5, 6-2 victory at No. 4 over Nicole DeLoach.
The Privateer tennis teams will now embark on a four-day, four-match road trip on Friday that will include matches at William Carey, Spring Hill, West Florida and Mobile.
New Orleans men 4, Xavier (La.) 3
Apr. 2, 2011 at New Orleans, La. (University Tennis Ctr)
Singles competition
Doubles competition
1. Hassan Abbas/Zach Taylor (XULA-M) def. Benjamin Bouhana/Hossam Meligy (UNO-M) 8-6
2. Abdelrahman Zaki/Vinay Kamineni (UNO-M) def. Sean Richardson/Steffen Giles-Osborn (XULA-M) 8-4
3. Oliver Grimbly/Rohit Chivukula (UNO-M) def. No player/No player (XULA-M), by walkover
University of New Orleans women 5, Xavier (La.) 1
Apr. 2, 2011 at New Orleans, La. (University Tennis Ctr.)
Singles competition
3.
Amber Garza (UNO-W) def. Carmen Nelson (XULA-W) 6-2, 6-4
5. Ashley McGill (XULA-W) def. No player (UNO-W), by forfeit
Doubles competition
1. Kozue Matsumoto/Amber Garza (UNO-W) def. Nicole DeLoach/Melissa DeLoach (XULA-W) 8-0
2. Sofija Karalic/Kristina Martic (UNO-W) def. Carmen Nelson/Ashley McGill (XULA-W) 8-4
