Men’s Tennis Tops Rice for Sixth Straight Win

Saturday, April 13

Houston, Texas

1 PM

Tulane University

Rice

Photo by: Parker Waters

Men’s Tennis Tops Rice for Sixth Straight Win

Apr 13, 2019 | Men's Tennis

HOUSTON – The Tulane men's tennis team completed regular-season play with its sixth straight victory and 10th in its last 11 matches in a 6-1 road win at Rice on Saturday afternoon.

Next up, Tulane awaits seeding for the 2019 American Athletic Conference Championship which will take place April 18-21 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.

"I'm very proud of the guys for coming together as a team and battling through all types of adversity to get this win today," head coach and director of tennis Mark Booras said. "Conditions were very tough with high, swirling winds against a very strong and hungry opponent fighting to protect their home court."

The Green Wave (14-11) established control early in doubles play despite the tough weather conditions, as Akos Kotorman and Hamish Stewart pushed their record to 9-1 with their fifth straight win, 6-1, on court two. Dane Esses and Luis Erlenbusch were close behind before closing out court three, 6-2, to give the Wave the 1-0 edge heading into singles.

Tulane continued its dominance with four, straight-set singles wins to put the match in hand. Kotorman cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 victory on court six, before Tyler Schick (6-1, 7-5) and Esses (6-2, 7-6) closed out courts four and five, respectively, to clinch the match. Stewart extended the advantage with a 7-5, 6-4 victory on court two.

Leading 5-0, the inclement weather forced the remaining two singles matches indoors. The 89th-ranked Erlenbusch completed a three-set comeback on court three, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, but Rice (13-12) broke the shutout with a three-set triumph on court one for its first point of the afternoon.

"We won lots of little battles today by keeping our poise under the toughest situations and being ourselves. Clicking on all cylinders today is a good way to finish up the regular season ahead of the conference tournament."

#42 Tulane 6, Rice 1

Singles competition
1. #44 Sumit Sarkar (RICE) def. #68 Ewan Moore (TLN) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6
2. Hamish Stewart (TLN) def. Eric Rutledge (RICE) 7-5, 6-4
3. #89 Luis Erlenbusch (TLN) def. M. Abdel-Aziz (RICE) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
4. Tyler Schick (TLN) def. Campbell Salmon (RICE) 6-1, 7-5
5. Dane Esses (TLN) def. Conrad Russell (RICE) 6-2, 7-6
6. Akos Kotorman (TLN) def. Adam Oscislawski (RICE) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Ewan Moore/Tyler Schick (TLN) vs. Sumit Sarkar/Conrad Russell (RICE) 4-3, unfinished
2. Hamish Stewart/Akos Kotorman (TLN) def. M. Abdel-Aziz/Karol Paluch (RICE) 6-1
3. Dane Esses/Luis Erlenbusch (TLN) def. Eric Rutledge/Campbell Salmon (RICE) 6-2

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