Tulane Defeats #42 SMU to Reach AAC Semifinals

Friday, April 19

Tulsa, OK

10 a.m.

Tulane University

(2) SMU

Tulane Defeats #42 SMU to Reach AAC Semifinals

Apr 19, 2024 | Men's Tennis

TULSA, Okla. – Tulane University men's tennis (9-14) outlasts the No. 2 seed SMU (17-10) for a 4-2 victory on Friday to advance to the American Athletic Conference Championship semifinals. The Green Wave will be making its second-straight trip to the AAC semifinals and its fifth since joining the league prior to the 2014-15 campaign.

Tulane improves to 11-8 in the AAC Championship and 11-8 all-time against SMU.

The Wave continued its strong play in doubles action claiming an early advantage over the Mustangs. The pairing of Benji Jacobson and Billy Suarez put the first double point of the day on the board for Tulane with a 6-2 win at court two. The Green Wave clinched the doubles point and took a 1-0 lead over SMU on a 7-5 victory on court three by Luka Petrovic and Sam Scherer.

SMU quickly responded in singles play to take the lead 2-1 over the Wave by winning in two sets on courts one and three. Tulane didn't let the deficit stand for long as Petrovic defeated #107 Maks Silagy in two sets at court three to even the score at 2-2.

Tulane reclaimed the lead 3-2 at court five after Fynn Kuenkler notched a two-set win. The overall match came down to Luc Hoeijmans and Rafael de Alba each competing in a decisive third set. Hoeijmans deliver the match clinching point for the Green Wave at court five by winning 7-5 to send Tulane to the AAC semifinals with a 4-2 victory.

Up next, Tulane will face the No. 6 seed Charlotte in the semifinals of the AAC Championship on Saturday at noon.

Doubles
1. #73 Alex Bancila/Luc Hoeijmans (Tulane) vs. Louis Cloud/Trevor Svajda (SMU) 6-6 (1-3), unfinished
2. Benji Jacobson/Billy Suarez (Tulane) def. Maks Silagy/Julian Steinhausen (SMU) 6-2
3. Luka Petrovic/Sam Scherer (Tulane) def. Callaway Clark/Adam Neff (SMU) 7-5
Order of finish: 2,3

Singles
1. #34 Svajda (SMU) def. Suarez (Tulane) 6-2, 6-3
2. Petrovic (Tulane) def. #107 Neff (SMU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Eric Hadigian (SMU) def. Bancila (Tulane) 6-2, 6-2
4. Hoeijmans (Tulane) vs. Silagy (SMU) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
5. Fynn Kuenkler (Tulane) def. Cloud (SMU) 6-4, 7-5
6. Rafael de Alba (Tulane) vs. Jerry Barton (SMU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-6 (7-6), unfinished
Order of finish: 1,3,2,5,4

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