The University of Louisville men’s tennis team fell 4-2 to No. 24 Duke in a non-conference matchup Saturday in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at TCU’s Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The Cardinals (3-1) will take on No. 10 TCU in the consolation match Sunday at 2 p.m. (ET).
“We won at #1 doubles and were one point away from a 5-2 lead at No. 3 doubles but lost 5-7,” said UofL head coach Rex Ecarma. “We won four of the six first sets in singles, but did not finish the way we wanted to. Chris was fighting hard and had a slight lead in the third set when his opponent rolled his ankle and had to take an injury timeout so we were looking good there. But they won at No. 5 singles and clinched the match. We now play the No. 1 seed and host TCU who was upset by No. 4 seed San Diego. We were the No. 2 seed so the top seeds play in the consolation match tomorrow.”
In doubles action, the Blue Devils (2-0) took an early lead when Ryan Dickerson and Jason Lapidus defeated Nicolas Rouanet and Federico Gomez 6-2 from the No. 2. The Cards countered with a victory of their own as Parker Wynn and Christopher Morin-Kougoucheff defeated Nick Stachowiak and Sean Sculley by a mark of 6-3 at No. 1. However, Duke ultimately came away with the doubles point with Catalin Mateas and Robert Levine beating Ciro Lampasas and George Hedley in a 7-5 decision from the No. 3.
In singles play, Hedley evened the score with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Duke’s Lapidus at the No. 6. Minutes later, No. 115 Wynn upset No. 81 Spencer Furman by a 6-3, 6-2 mark from the No. 2 to extend the Cardinals lead to 2-1.
The Blue Devils knotted the score once again with Sculley’s 6-3, 6-2 win over Gomez at the No. 4. Duke would then go on to win the remaining three sets to clinch the 4-2 victory over the Cardinals. Stachowiak secured a 6-4, 6-2 win over Rouanet at the No. 3, followed by a Dickerson’s 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Lancaster at the No. 5.
When the match was decided, play on the final court was suspended. At the No. 1 spot, No. 75 Morin-Kougoucheff and Mateas split sets with the third set tied at 4-4.
#24 Duke 4, Louisville 2
Jan 27, 2018 at Fort Worth, Texas
(Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center)
Singles
1. #75 C. Morin-Kougoucheff (LOU) vs. Catalin Mateas (DU) 6-2, 3-6, 4-4, unfinished
2. #115 Parker Wynn (LOU) def. #81 Spencer Furman (DU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Nick Stachowiak (DU) def. Nicolas Rouanet (LOU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Sean Sculley (DU) def. Federico Gomez (LOU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Ryan Dickerson (DU) def. Brandon Lancaster (LOU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-0
6. George Hedley (LOU) def. Jason Lapidus (DU) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
1. #6 Parker Wynn/C. Morin-Kougoucheff (LOU) def. Nick Stachowiak/Sean Sculley (DU) 6-3
2. Ryan Dickerson/Jason Lapidus (DU) def. Nicolas Rouanet/Federico Gomez (LOU) 6-2
3. Catalin Mateas/Robert Levine (DU) def. Ciro Lampasas/George Hedley (LOU) 7-5
Match Notes:
Duke 2-0; National ranking #24
Louisville 3-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,2,4,3,5)
Lori Korte
Assistant Sports Information Director
University of Louisville Athletics
