NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers men's tennis team will head to City Park to renew its rivalry against in-city foe Tulane on Sunday at 1 p.m.
UNO (1-0) enters the week following a 7-0 win over Oral Roberts in the team's Southland Conference debut on Jan. 19. The Privateers swept all three doubles' matches before each member of the lineup won in straight sets in the six singles' matches.
With lofty aspirations this season, UNO could check another goal off its list when it faces a Tulane team that opens its spring schedule on Saturday against Xavier (La.). Historically-speaking, the Privateers have never beaten their crosstown rival, including eight straight losses dating back to 1996.
The teams last met in 2010, a 4-3 win by UNO that was reversed following an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) ruling that handed the victory to the Green Wave despite the on-the-court results. The change in result by the national governing body officially maintained Tulane's unblemished record in the series.
Playing at the No. 1 position for the Privateers is
Rui Silva, who is ranked No. 110 nationally by the ITA and carries an 8-0 overall record into the week. Silva will likely face a test from the Green Waves' Idan Mark, who is ranked No. 16 in the Southern Region, eight slots behind Silva, who ranks No. 8 within the region.
Other top singles' players for UNO on the season included
Christoffer Appelgren and
Abdelrahman Zaki with records of 4-1 and 3-1, respectively.
In doubles' play, 2012 ITA All-Americans
Ricardo Campos and
Hossam Meligy are 4-1 overall and will play at the No. 1 position. Mark and teammate Joe Young are the likely opponents for the Privateers' top duo after spending the fall ranked in the top 40 by the ITA.
Silva and Zaki formed the No. 2 pair for UNO against ORU with Appelgren partnering with
Vasco Leitao as the Privateers' No. 3 duo.
Following Sunday's match, UNO will continue its slate on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at South Alabama with a 1 p.m. first serve. The Jaguars are ranked No. 52 nationally following the ITA's most recent release of the team rankings on Jan. 22.
