Friday, September 13
LOUISVILLE, KY
University of Louisville
vs
Louisville Invitational
Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Avendaño Wins Flight at Louisville Invitational
September 15, 2024 | Men's Tennis
Cardinals rack up 16 singles and seven doubles victories in their opening weekend
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville started off the Fall 2024 season hosting 10 teams for the Louisville Invitational at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center over the weekend.
Sophomore Miguel Avendaño won the Flight B Championship in singles while Russell Lokko and Adrien Ducruet won the Flight C Doubles Championship.
Louisville went 16-8 on the weekend in singles with a 7-2 mark in doubles.
Friday
The first day of the Louisville Invitational was a successful day for the Cards with five of six singles players winning their opening draws and all three doubles pairings moving on to their respective semi-finals.
In Flight A Singles, Piet Steveker started off strong, defeating Bellarmine's Vineet Ramesh 7-5, 6-2. Enrique Peña followed that up with a hard fought win against Moritz Kudernatsch of Memphis, ultimately taking the match 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.
Friday's Flight B Singles matches included wins for Kosuke Nakanishi and Avendaño. Nakanishi defeated Belmont's Esunge Ndumbe in a three-set standoff, winning 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-5. Avendaño took a quick win over Axel Sabourin of Southern Indiana, 6-2, 6-0.
Russell Lokko and Adrien Ducruet rounded out Friday's singles competition for Louisville in Flight C. Lokko took a commanding win over Bryce Rothschild of Southern Indiana, winning 6-0, 6-0. Ducruet took a loss to Belmont's Niklas Von Hellens, falling 6-3, 6-3.
Doubles competition on Friday saw all three of UofL's pairings move onto their respective flight's semifinals. The duo of Steveker and Peña defeated Kudernatsch and Sam Reeve of Memphis 8-6. In the semifinals, Steveker/Peña lost to Bellarmine pairing Jack Batchelor and Matthew Nice 8-6.
The Louisville pairing of Avendaño and Nakanishi won their first match against Southern Indiana's Mothys Bove and Axel Sabourin 8-6. They followed that up with a strong win in the Flight B Semifinals over Bellamine duo Eli Wood and Louie Fletcher, winning 8-0.
Lokko and Ducruet paired up for two big wins, beating Eytan Michaeli and Quinten Gillespie from USI 8-3, and Vineet Ramesh and Brent Reynolds of Bellarmine, 8-7 (7-5) in the semifinals.
Saturday
Avendaño took the first win of the second day for the Cards, beating Nice 6-0, 6-1. Steveker grabbed another win in a battle against Michael Kouame of Memphis, winning 3-6, 6-4, 10-7. Both Avendaño and Steveker moved onto their respective semifinals.
Lokko, Nakanishi, and Peña all battled hard, but fell in their matches. Lokko was defeated by Belmont's Charlie Robinson, 3-6, 4-6. Nakanishi and Peña both fought to the third set, with Nakanishi falling 3-6, 6-4, 15-17 to Jaynath Devaiah of Notre Dame and Peña falling 6-3, 3-6, 6-10, to Notre Dame's Jameson Corsillo. Lokko, Nakanishi, and Peña all moved to the West bracket following their morning losses.
Starting off the afternoon, UofL showed strong with Nakanishi and Lokko pulling out wins in the West bracket. Nakanishi defeated Brian Bilsey from Notre Dame in two sets 6-4, 6-3. Lokko also claimed a victory in two sets, 6-2, 7-5, against Eli Mizerski of Belmont. In the semifinals, Avendaño took another two-set win against Luis Felipe Ferraz Sandoval Carvahlo from Memphis 6-1, 7-5, to advance to the flight finals.
Despite battling hard through three sets in his own semifinal, Steveker fell to Baylor's Martin Breysach 2-6, 6-3, 10-6. Peña was also defeated in his second match of the day, falling 7-6, 10-8, 6-3 to Jack Batchelor of Belmont.
Sunday
The Cardinals started off the last day of the tournament with a huge doubles win as the duo of Lokko/Ducruet defeated Belmont's Mizerski and Morgan Woodson 8-5 to claim the doubles championship in Flight C.
In the Flight B championship match, Louisville's Avendaño and Nakanishi fought hard but ultimately lost 8-6 to Notre Dame's Devaiah and Luis Saracho Llorens.
UofL's pairing of Steveker and Peña defeated Gabrielius Guzauskas and Zachary Viiala of Illinois 8-3 in the Flight A consolation match.
The Cardinals carried their momentum into singles action as Avendaño claimed the Flight B singles title, defeating Devaiah of Notre Dame 6-3, 6-4.
Ducruet fought hard to come back from a set down in the Flight C consolation match but was bested by Eastern Kentucky's Kartik Parhar 6-2, 2-6, 12-10.
Nakanishi showcased his toughness, outlasting the Fighting Irish's Noah Becker 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) in the final north division match.
Steveker and Lokko both prevailed in their lone singles matches on the day due to medical retirements.
The last match of the tournament came down to a three set-thriller between Louisville's Enrique Peña and Notre Dame's Kyran Magimay with Magimay prevailing 6-2, 6-7(7-2), 17-15.
Louisville's Hamza El Amine is the next to compete for the Cardinals as he plays in the pre-qualifying draw in the ITA All-American Championship on Saturday, September 21.
Friday Singles Competition
Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) def. Vineet Ramesh (Bell) 7-5, 6-2
Enrique Peña (LOU-MT) def. Moritz Kudernatsch (Mem) 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
Kosuke Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Esunge, Ndumbe (BU) 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-5
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Axel Sabourin (USI) 6-2, 6-0
Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) def. Bryce Rothschild (USI) 6-0, 6-0
Niklas Von Hellens (BU) def. Adrien Ducruet (LOU-MT) 6-3, 6-3
Friday Doubles Competition
Steveker/Peña (LOU-MT) def. Moritz Kudernatsch/Sam Reeve (Mem) 8-6
Avendaño/Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Mathys Bove/Axel Sabourin (USI) 8-6
Lokko/ Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Eytan Michaeli/Quinten Gillespie (USI) 8-3
Jack Batchelor/Matthew Nice (ND) def. Steveker/Peña (LOU-MT) 8-6
Avendaño/Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Louie Fletcher/Eli Wood (Bell) 8-0
Lokko/Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Vineet Ramesh/Brent Reynolds (Bell) 8-7 (7-5)
Saturday Singles Competition
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Matthew Nice (Bell) 6-0, 6-1
Charlie Robin (BU) def. Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) 6-3, 6-4
Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) def. Michael Kouame (Mem) 3-6, 6-4, 10-7
Jaynath Devaiah (ND) def. Kosuke Nakanishi (LOU-MT) 6-3, 4-6, 17-15
Jameson Corsillo (ND) def. Enrique Peña (LOU-MT) 3-6, 6-3, 10-6
Adrien Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Eytan Michaelie (USI) 6-0, ret.
Martin Breysach (BU) def. Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) 2-6, 6-3, 10-6
Jack Batchelor (Bell) def. Enrique Pena (LOU-MT) 7-6, (10-8), 6-3
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Luis Felipe Ferraz Sandoval Carvalho (Mem) 6-1, 7-5
Kosuke Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Brian Bilsey (ND) 6-4, 6-3
Miguel Avendaño LOU-MT) def. Luis Felipe Ferraz Sandoval Carvalho (Mem) 6-1, 7-5
Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) def. Eli Mizerski (Bel) 6-2, 7-5
Sunday Doubles Competition
Lokko/ Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Eli Mizerski/Morgan Woodson (Bell) 8-5
Steveker/Peña (LOU-MT) def. Gabrielius Guzauskas/Zachary Viiala (ILL) 8-3
Jayant Devaiah/Luis Saracho Llorens (ND) def. Avendaño/Nakanishi (LOU-MT) 8-6
Sunday Singles Competition
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Devaiah (ND) 6-3, 6-4
Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) def. Corsillo (ND) 7-6 (7-3) 1-0 (ret.)
Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) def. Mario Martin (EKU) 5-2 (ret.)
Kartik Parhar (EKU) def. Adrien Ducruet (LOU-MT) 6-3, 2-6, 12-10
Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Noah Becker (ND) 7-5, 7-6 (7-1)
Kyran Magimay (ND) def. Peña (LOU-MT) 6-2, 6-7(7-2), 17-15
Sophomore Miguel Avendaño won the Flight B Championship in singles while Russell Lokko and Adrien Ducruet won the Flight C Doubles Championship.
Louisville went 16-8 on the weekend in singles with a 7-2 mark in doubles.
Friday
The first day of the Louisville Invitational was a successful day for the Cards with five of six singles players winning their opening draws and all three doubles pairings moving on to their respective semi-finals.
In Flight A Singles, Piet Steveker started off strong, defeating Bellarmine's Vineet Ramesh 7-5, 6-2. Enrique Peña followed that up with a hard fought win against Moritz Kudernatsch of Memphis, ultimately taking the match 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.
Friday's Flight B Singles matches included wins for Kosuke Nakanishi and Avendaño. Nakanishi defeated Belmont's Esunge Ndumbe in a three-set standoff, winning 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-5. Avendaño took a quick win over Axel Sabourin of Southern Indiana, 6-2, 6-0.
Russell Lokko and Adrien Ducruet rounded out Friday's singles competition for Louisville in Flight C. Lokko took a commanding win over Bryce Rothschild of Southern Indiana, winning 6-0, 6-0. Ducruet took a loss to Belmont's Niklas Von Hellens, falling 6-3, 6-3.
Doubles competition on Friday saw all three of UofL's pairings move onto their respective flight's semifinals. The duo of Steveker and Peña defeated Kudernatsch and Sam Reeve of Memphis 8-6. In the semifinals, Steveker/Peña lost to Bellarmine pairing Jack Batchelor and Matthew Nice 8-6.
The Louisville pairing of Avendaño and Nakanishi won their first match against Southern Indiana's Mothys Bove and Axel Sabourin 8-6. They followed that up with a strong win in the Flight B Semifinals over Bellamine duo Eli Wood and Louie Fletcher, winning 8-0.
Lokko and Ducruet paired up for two big wins, beating Eytan Michaeli and Quinten Gillespie from USI 8-3, and Vineet Ramesh and Brent Reynolds of Bellarmine, 8-7 (7-5) in the semifinals.
Saturday
Avendaño took the first win of the second day for the Cards, beating Nice 6-0, 6-1. Steveker grabbed another win in a battle against Michael Kouame of Memphis, winning 3-6, 6-4, 10-7. Both Avendaño and Steveker moved onto their respective semifinals.
Lokko, Nakanishi, and Peña all battled hard, but fell in their matches. Lokko was defeated by Belmont's Charlie Robinson, 3-6, 4-6. Nakanishi and Peña both fought to the third set, with Nakanishi falling 3-6, 6-4, 15-17 to Jaynath Devaiah of Notre Dame and Peña falling 6-3, 3-6, 6-10, to Notre Dame's Jameson Corsillo. Lokko, Nakanishi, and Peña all moved to the West bracket following their morning losses.
Starting off the afternoon, UofL showed strong with Nakanishi and Lokko pulling out wins in the West bracket. Nakanishi defeated Brian Bilsey from Notre Dame in two sets 6-4, 6-3. Lokko also claimed a victory in two sets, 6-2, 7-5, against Eli Mizerski of Belmont. In the semifinals, Avendaño took another two-set win against Luis Felipe Ferraz Sandoval Carvahlo from Memphis 6-1, 7-5, to advance to the flight finals.
Despite battling hard through three sets in his own semifinal, Steveker fell to Baylor's Martin Breysach 2-6, 6-3, 10-6. Peña was also defeated in his second match of the day, falling 7-6, 10-8, 6-3 to Jack Batchelor of Belmont.
Sunday
The Cardinals started off the last day of the tournament with a huge doubles win as the duo of Lokko/Ducruet defeated Belmont's Mizerski and Morgan Woodson 8-5 to claim the doubles championship in Flight C.
In the Flight B championship match, Louisville's Avendaño and Nakanishi fought hard but ultimately lost 8-6 to Notre Dame's Devaiah and Luis Saracho Llorens.
UofL's pairing of Steveker and Peña defeated Gabrielius Guzauskas and Zachary Viiala of Illinois 8-3 in the Flight A consolation match.
The Cardinals carried their momentum into singles action as Avendaño claimed the Flight B singles title, defeating Devaiah of Notre Dame 6-3, 6-4.
Ducruet fought hard to come back from a set down in the Flight C consolation match but was bested by Eastern Kentucky's Kartik Parhar 6-2, 2-6, 12-10.
Nakanishi showcased his toughness, outlasting the Fighting Irish's Noah Becker 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) in the final north division match.
Steveker and Lokko both prevailed in their lone singles matches on the day due to medical retirements.
The last match of the tournament came down to a three set-thriller between Louisville's Enrique Peña and Notre Dame's Kyran Magimay with Magimay prevailing 6-2, 6-7(7-2), 17-15.
Louisville's Hamza El Amine is the next to compete for the Cardinals as he plays in the pre-qualifying draw in the ITA All-American Championship on Saturday, September 21.
Friday Singles Competition
Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) def. Vineet Ramesh (Bell) 7-5, 6-2
Enrique Peña (LOU-MT) def. Moritz Kudernatsch (Mem) 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
Kosuke Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Esunge, Ndumbe (BU) 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-5
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Axel Sabourin (USI) 6-2, 6-0
Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) def. Bryce Rothschild (USI) 6-0, 6-0
Niklas Von Hellens (BU) def. Adrien Ducruet (LOU-MT) 6-3, 6-3
Friday Doubles Competition
Steveker/Peña (LOU-MT) def. Moritz Kudernatsch/Sam Reeve (Mem) 8-6
Avendaño/Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Mathys Bove/Axel Sabourin (USI) 8-6
Lokko/ Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Eytan Michaeli/Quinten Gillespie (USI) 8-3
Jack Batchelor/Matthew Nice (ND) def. Steveker/Peña (LOU-MT) 8-6
Avendaño/Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Louie Fletcher/Eli Wood (Bell) 8-0
Lokko/Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Vineet Ramesh/Brent Reynolds (Bell) 8-7 (7-5)
Saturday Singles Competition
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Matthew Nice (Bell) 6-0, 6-1
Charlie Robin (BU) def. Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) 6-3, 6-4
Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) def. Michael Kouame (Mem) 3-6, 6-4, 10-7
Jaynath Devaiah (ND) def. Kosuke Nakanishi (LOU-MT) 6-3, 4-6, 17-15
Jameson Corsillo (ND) def. Enrique Peña (LOU-MT) 3-6, 6-3, 10-6
Adrien Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Eytan Michaelie (USI) 6-0, ret.
Martin Breysach (BU) def. Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) 2-6, 6-3, 10-6
Jack Batchelor (Bell) def. Enrique Pena (LOU-MT) 7-6, (10-8), 6-3
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Luis Felipe Ferraz Sandoval Carvalho (Mem) 6-1, 7-5
Kosuke Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Brian Bilsey (ND) 6-4, 6-3
Miguel Avendaño LOU-MT) def. Luis Felipe Ferraz Sandoval Carvalho (Mem) 6-1, 7-5
Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) def. Eli Mizerski (Bel) 6-2, 7-5
Sunday Doubles Competition
Lokko/ Ducruet (LOU-MT) def. Eli Mizerski/Morgan Woodson (Bell) 8-5
Steveker/Peña (LOU-MT) def. Gabrielius Guzauskas/Zachary Viiala (ILL) 8-3
Jayant Devaiah/Luis Saracho Llorens (ND) def. Avendaño/Nakanishi (LOU-MT) 8-6
Sunday Singles Competition
Miguel Avendaño (LOU-MT) def. Devaiah (ND) 6-3, 6-4
Piet Steveker (LOU-MT) def. Corsillo (ND) 7-6 (7-3) 1-0 (ret.)
Russell Lokko (LOU-MT) def. Mario Martin (EKU) 5-2 (ret.)
Kartik Parhar (EKU) def. Adrien Ducruet (LOU-MT) 6-3, 2-6, 12-10
Nakanishi (LOU-MT) def. Noah Becker (ND) 7-5, 7-6 (7-1)
Kyran Magimay (ND) def. Peña (LOU-MT) 6-2, 6-7(7-2), 17-15
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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