Men's Tennis Edges UT-Rio Grande Valley

BOX SCORE

NEW ORLEANS – Nicolas Kramer built a big second set lead and wound up clinching the match by breaking serve as the University of New Orleans Privateers men's tennis team (4-4) battled to a 4-3 victory over the UT-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (8-9) on Tuesday at the University Tennis Center.
 
After winning the first set, Kramer built a 5-0 lead in the second set over Cosme Jubera. The next two games went Jubera's way and Kramer was tasked with breaking serve on the changeover. Kramer wound up sealing the match for UNO who had only five players available for the match.
 
"I couldn't have asked for more, the way they played this match," said Coach Burzis Kanga. "UT-Rio Grande Valley was a team that I knew was going to give us a hard time. We just jumped out on top and got the doubles point which was the difference in today's match. Jeffrey played an incredible match, Gonzalo got the job done quickly, and Nick played with a lot of confidence and executed well."
 
The day started with the Privateers needing to sweep the two doubles matches. Luis Albuquerque and Jeffrey Hsu went up 5-2, but the Vaqueros' top pair won the next two games. UNO was on serve and the game went to deuce before Hsu ripped a forehand winner to seal the #1 doubles match.
 
Kramer and Gonzalo Garcia were locked in a tight battle that wound up 5-5 after the first ten games. The Privateers #2 tandem then broke serve to move ahead. On serve with the point on the line, Garcia came up with two straight aces to earn the first point for UNO.
 
"We needed this win and I told the players that we have to keep on staying on course," said Kanga. "As long as everyone gives 110 percent, I'm happy with that. We might win some, we might lose some but I want them to give maximum effort."
 
Hsu added a break late in the first set and was up 5-4 with a chance to end the match on serve. UTRGV's Juan Cruz Soria broke serve though to tie the set at 5-5. Hsu then came back with a service break of his own and held on his second service for the match.
 
Garcia got on and off the court quickly. It was a close match early on in the first set, but Garcia quickly established command winning the last three games to close the first set. Garcia got out to a 4-1 lead in the second set and never looked back on his way to a 6-2, 6-2 win.
 
The Privateers will next face Southland foe, Incarnate Word on Wednesday.
 
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