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Kenyon College Athletics

Rakkan Audeh
Marty Fuller
5
Winner North Carolina Wesleyan NCWU (4-5)
4
Kenyon KENM (3-6)
Winner
North Carolina Wesleyan NCWU
(4-5)
5
Final
4
Kenyon KENM
(3-6)
5
Winner Southwestern SUM (6-1)
4
Kenyon KENM (3-7)
Winner
Southwestern SUM
(6-1)
5
Final
4
Kenyon KENM
(3-7)

Match Recap: Men's Tennis |

Owls just miss on pair of upset bids

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A pair of 5-4 losses made for an exciting, yet frustrating, day for the Kenyon College men's tennis team. Playing Saturday at the USTA National Campus, the No. 23-ranked Owls lost a one-point match to No. 19-ranked North Carolina Wesleyan University and then suffered another one-point defeat to No. 15-ranked Southwestern University.

The pair of heart-wrenching losses dropped Kenyon's overall season record to 3-7. North Carolina Wesleyan improved to 4-5, while Southwestern ran its record to 6-1.

The Owls got off to a great start, getting 8-6 doubles wins from Luis Andres Platas and Eric Zhang at No. 1 and from Thomas Kallarakal and Eliezer Gonzaelz at No. 3.

After that, North Carolina Wesleyan posted a quick win at No. 1 singles to tie the team score up at 2-2. Eric Zhang and Rakkan Audeh came through for Kenyon at No. 4 and No. 6 singles, respectively, but the Battling Bishops countered with wins at No. 3 and No. 5.

With the team score knotted at 4-4, the match decision came down to No. 2, where Kallarakal was battling Luca Knese. Kallarakal got the better of Knese in the first set, 6-3, but then ran out of steam as Knese took the second and third sets by identical scores of 6-2.

In the late match, Kenyon got behind early against Southwestern. The Pirates took two of three doubles matches. Kallarakal and Gonzalez thwarted the sweep by winning the No. 3 match, 8-4. At No. 1, Platas and Zhang were edged 8-7 (7-5).

Platas added a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles and Kallarakal rebounded nicely from his first single match, generating a 6-2, 7-5 Kenyon victory at No. 3 singles. Audeh, who has been solid all season at No. 6, won again. He scored a 6-3, 6-2 decision and improved his dual-meet season record to 8-1.

Unfortunately for the Owls, the Pirates were able to split the singles matches, winning at No. 1, No. 4, and No. 5 to squeak out the one-point team victory.

After the long day in the Florida sun, the Owls get a few days to rest and won't be back in action again until Wednesday, when they face another twinbill. They first take on Wesleyan University at 11 a.m. and then face Millsaps College at 6 p.m. 
 
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