Cardinals Head to Florida for ITA Kick-Off Weekend

Saturday, January 26

Gainesville, FL

11:00 a.m.

University of Louisville

Florida Atlantic

Christopher Morin-Kougoucheff returns the ball during the Home Opener against Lipscomb at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center, January 18, 2019.

Photo by: Dustin Massengill | Louisville Athletics

January 25, 2019 | Men's Tennis

Cards face Florida Atlantic in the first round on Saturday

By: Kylie Klotzbach

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville men's tennis team will travel south to Gainesville, Fla. to face Florida Atlantic in the first round of the 2018 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kick-Off Weekend on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Cardinals will then meet either Florida or William & Mary on the final day of the tournament.

The winners of each match will meet Sunday at 11 a.m. to play for an automatic berth to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The consolation match will also take place Sunday at 9 a.m. Each of the 15 winning schools from host sites across the nation will also be invited to the championships, which will be held in Chicago, Ill. from Feb. 15-18.

"We are excited about our ninth bid in 10 seasons to the ITA National Kick-Off Tournament," said UofL head coach Rex Ecarma. "This event features the Top 60 teams in the country annually. It is one of the most exciting weekends of the year for our sport. There are 15 regionals around the country where every match features ranked teams. We are seeded No. 2 in the Gainesville Regional. It is an outdoor regional but our week in Hawaii has helped us prepare for this."

About Louisville Men's Tennis
The Cardinals (3-1) return to action after picking up victories over Butler and Lipscomb, but falling to then-ranked No. 17 Virginia last weekend. Louisville blanked Butler 4-0 in its home opener, followed by a 5-1 win over Lipscomb just hours later. Freshman David Mizrahi notched Louisville's lone win against Virginia as they fell 4-1 to the Cavaliers.

Mizrahi is off to a stellar start in his first season as a Cardinal with a perfect 4-0 record at the six-spot. Fellow freshman Sergio Hernandez Ramirez is also undefeated with a 3-0 mark at No. 5. Brandon Lancaster is the top-ranked singles player for Louisville at No. 104 and holds a 2-1 record in dual match play.

In doubles, Lancaster and George Hedley checked in at No. 34 in the latest ITA rankings and are 1-0 in dual match action.

Florida Atlantic
Series Record: First meeting.
Scouting the Owls: Florida Atlantic enters Saturday's matchup as the No. 3 seed with a 3-3 record, coming off a 6-1 loss to Miami. The Owls are led by Fernandez Horta, who holds a record of 4-1 through six dual matches and has won four straight heading into the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. In doubles, Igancio Garcia and Jason Legal have put together three wins at No. 1 for the Owls.

Florida
Series Record: Florida leads 1-0.
Last Meeting: April 8, 1989 – The Cardinals lost 8-1 in Louisville.
Scouting the Gators: The fourth-ranked Gators open their dual match season this weekend as the No. 1 seed against William & Mary. In 2018, Florida finished with a record of 19-10 and made a run to the Elite Eight at the NCAA Championships. Following fall tournament action, the Gators boast five singles players and three doubles teams ranked in the ITA standings, led by No. 9 Oliver Crawford and the No. 8 pair of Andy Andrade and Crawford.

William & Mary
Series Record: Louisville leads 5-1.
Last Meeting: March 16, 2007 –William & Mary won 4-0 at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.
Scouting the Tribe: William & Mary heads into the ITA Kick-Off Weekend as the fourth seed in the bracket. In their first dual match of the season, the Tribe fell to then-No. 17 Virginia by a mark of 6-1. Sophomore Sebastian Quiros defeated No. 38 Gianni Ross 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 at No. 3 to pick up the Tribe's highest ranked win since 2014.

Up Next
The Cardinals return to the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center on Friday, Feb. 1 for a 3 p.m. matchup against Georgia State.