The New Orleans Privateers women’s tennis team earned their first conference victory of the season with a 5-2 win against Lamar on March 21, while the men’s team lost a close match to the Cardinals in their conference opener by the same score.
The women’s team gained early momentum by winning the doubles point, with Kateryna Kalistratova and Ananya Dhankhar securing a 6-3 victory at flight two, and Nouray Khaled and Naila Krifa also winning 6-3 at flight three. In singles play, Kalistratova came back from a set down to win her match 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Dhankhar also rallied after losing her first set to claim a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory. Additional wins came from Fleur Sprengers, who notched her tenth singles win of the year with a 7-5, 6-4 result at flight one, and Krifa who won in straight sets.
With this result, the women’s team improved their conference record to 1-2.
On the men’s side, four out of six singles matches went to three sets. The Cardinals took three of those matches as part of their overall win at the Privateer Tennis Center. Although Peter Kieslinger and Jerall Yasin won at flight three in doubles for New Orleans, it was not enough to secure the opening point. Lamar established an early lead by winning at flights one and two in doubles.
In singles play for New Orleans men’s team, Gonzalo Cotter overcame a tough tiebreak loss in his first set to defeat Fabian Anthin in three sets (6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-3). Jacob Rouleau-Mailly added another point for the Privateers with a strong finish against Leon Nickel (6-4, 6-1).
Both teams are scheduled to face UIW on Monday; women will play at 11 a.m., followed by men at 2 p.m.
