NEW ORLEANS — Tulane needed three-set victories in three singles matches Tuesday to defeat city rival Xavier University of Louisiana 6-1 at Tulane's Goldring Tennis Center.
The Green Wave (11-9), an NCAA Division I member, won for the 10th time in 13 home matches and beat the Gold Rush (12-7), ranked ninth in the NAIA, for the second time this season.
Xavier won two matches — Viktor Svoboda and Corey Huggins beat Shaye Wali and Rodrigo Rappaccioli 8-5 at No. 3 doubles, and Zach Taylor beat Joe Young 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2 singles — but only the singles result counted in the team score. Tulane scored the first point by winning 2-of-3 doubles matches.
Wali's 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision against Svoboda at No. 3 singles clinched the dual and gave Tulane a 4-1 lead. In the final two completed matches, Idan Mark defeated Loic Didavi 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (9-7) at No. 1, and Iain Sneddon beat Corey Huggins 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (12-10) at No. 6.
"The final score is no indication of how this match went," XU coach Alan Green said. "We gave Tulane all they could handle and just fell short on the three deciding matches. I would like to think that we've earned their respect and maybe made them feel uncomfortable. This was a great match. If we can build from this we can do some damage the rest of the way."
The loss was a season-worst third in a row for Xavier and the sixth in nine duals since a 9-1 start. But two of the losses during the recent stretch are to NCAA Division I opponents, and the other four occurred against top-10 NAIA teams.
The XU men and women will conclude the regular season by traveling to Mississippi for matches on Saturday against Tougaloo at 9 a.m. and Alcorn State at 3 p.m. Then the Rush and Gold Nuggets will compete April 27-28 in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Georgia.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
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