Action taking place in Greenville (ECU Athletics)
The UConn men’s tennis team was defeated by Richmond and ECU in Greenville, North Carolina this past weekend. The pair of losses stretched the Huskies losing streak to six matches and dropped the team’s record to 4-15.
On Saturday, the Huskies suffered a 7-0 sweep at the hands of Richmond, who improved to a 10-9 after the win. The Spiders dominated in singles play, claiming each match in straight sets while cruising to a pair of 6-2 wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles.
“The scores don’t reflect the opportunities we had to take control of during the match,” associate head coach Reinaldo Valor said.
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“The scores don’t reflect the opportunities we had to take control of during the match”
The following day, UConn fought to a tough 5-2 loss against a good ECU team who recently notched their 20th win of the season. With freshman John Holtmann out of the lineup, the Huskies were forced to make several adjustments but were able to battle their way to four three-set matches in singles play, two of which they won. Freshman Yili Zheng won 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 at No. 1 and junior Jack McLister rallied to a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 4, while junior Hank Hill fell 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 and senior Jonathan Edwards lost 4-6, 6-3, 10-3 match at No. 5.
“Four out of the six singles matches went to three sets,” Valor said. “Losing one of our starters in singles and one from the doubles line up and to still have an opportunity to win the match was an outstanding effort.”
Junior Justin Warren fell 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3 and sophomore Evan Powell, who replaced Holtmann in the lineup, was defeated 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6. In doubles play, the Pirates picked up a pair of quick wins at No. 2 and No. 3 to claim the first point of the match.
“I’m so proud of the team and we are looking forward to keep the momentum going in the conference tournament,” Valor said.
With the regular season now in the books, the Huskies will look to end their season on a high note during the American Conference Championship tournament in Dallas beginning on Thursday.
Story Salit is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus and can be reached via email at story.salit@uconn.edu.