Gold Rush rally past D2 No. 8 Embry-Riddle on road

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  — Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis earned its first-ever victory against a top-10 NCAA Division II opponent when it rallied for a 5-4 victory Monday against Embry-Riddle.
     
The Gold Rush (8-7), ranked second in the NAIA, trailed 4-2, then got singles victories from Pierre Andrieu, Samir Chikhaoui and Antoine Richard. Richard, playing singles for the first time this season, clinched with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Andres Donayre on the second court.
     
The Eagles, ranked eighth, are 9-4.
     
"Outstanding win. Our guys played big," XULA coach Alan Green said. "They fought to the end and never gave up."
     
Andrieu defeated Mickael Faucher 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 on court six — it was Andrieu's sixth victory in his last seven singles decisions — and Chikhaoui beat Lucas Bos 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
     
First off the singles court was XULA's Shaikh Abdullah, who beat Deepak Vishavkarma 6-2, 6-2 for his fourth consecutive victory.
     
Embry-Riddle won 2-of-3 doubles matches. The Eagles' Donayre and Rodolfo Arreygue, ranked third nationally, beat Abdullah and Richard 9-8 (7-4). Chikhaoui and Gabriel Niculescu defeated Vishavkarma and Faucher 9-8 (7-2) on the third court.
     
XULA will play NAIA No. 3 Keiser at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday at a neutral site in Orlando, Fla. — the USTA National Campus courts.

Results

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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