NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers men's tennis team closed the fall season on a strong note. Now, the guys turn their attention to the beginning of the spring season with a match-up against the Loyola Wolfpack on Friday. The match is slated for a 3 p.m. start at the University Tennis Center.
At the Big Easy Classic, the men won the team title with solid performances across the board.
Christoffer Appelgren and
Luis Albuquerque won individual championships at Flight 4 and 5 respectively.
Gonzalo Garcia won the consolation draw in Flight 2 and
Nicolas Kramer made it to the consolation final in Flight 3. In doubles, Kramer and
Karim Shokeir made it to the consolation final.
Appelgren was limited to just four matches last year after battling through injury, but is now being turned to in a leadership role as one of two seniors on the roster. Preceding his individual title at the Big Easy Classic, Appelgren won the Flight 2 consolation draw at the West Florida Fall Fling.
"No one has a stronger work ethic than Chris. He's stayed with it and he's kept on working. Not only does he do well in the fall, but he's our team captain and I think the players look up to him. It starts with him in many ways so I'm proud of him," said Coach
Burzis Kanga.
Giacomo Adoncecchi, who started the fall season off with a solid win against Tarun Surat of Southern Miss is also among the returners after having a freshman season that featured a 3-3 conference mark and seven wins in singles.
Debuting for the spring will be
Jeffrey Hsu who is slated to start in the #1 position as a freshman. Kanga said of his game, "Jeffrey is one of the most talented players I've seen in a long time. He has great hands, great footwork and court sense. He knows where he needs to be on the court and he's a gifted athlete," said Kanga.
The Privateers and Wolfpack have met three times since 2010 in dual play with New Orleans taking all three matches by 7-0 counts. Last season, the whole team combined lost just 10 games between singles and doubles.
Friday's match is the first of five straight at home to open the season. New Orleans will also host Jackson State, Alcorn State, Troy, and Stetson within the next month before taking their first road trip to Rice on Mar. 12. Last season, the Privateers defended their home court well, winning six of nine matches at the University Tennis Center.
To keep up with the latest New Orleans tennis news, follow the team on Twitter
@UNOPrivateers and
@Privateers_TN or by liking New Orleans Privateers on
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