Wednesday, January 15
LOUISVILLE, KY
12 p.m.
University of Louisville
6
vs
1
Eastern Kentucky
Louisville Sweeps EKU to Start the Year
January 15, 2025 | Men's Tennis
Cardinals open season 2-0 with doubleheader victory
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville Cardinals men's tennis squad opened up 2025 with a 2-0 record after two victories over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels on Wednesday afternoon at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.
"It's always exciting to get the season started," said head coach Rodrigo da Silva. "We had some players with nerves and a little bit of anxiousness, but they were still able to overcome that and get their first win, which is great. In the second match, everyone played a lot sharper and the level of play was much higher. Now it's time to get back to work and get ready for another doubleheader against two great teams on Monday."
The first match opened with a 6-3 doubles win from Miguel Avendaño and Andre Steinbach, over Adrian Contreras and Ryan Kitchin on Court 3. This was followed by a 6-3 win in favor of the Colonels, with Christian Cantos Siemers and Nuno Pinheiro defeating Will Mayew and Piet Steveker.
However, the Cards clinched the singular doubles point with a win from Enrique Peña and Natan Rodrigues, who won 6-3 over Fernando Bulnes and Mario Martin of EKU.
Heading into the singles matches, Rodrigues, Mayew, Avendaño and Hamza El Amine all made quick work of their opponents, each winning in two sets.
Steveker won in two sets against Kitchin, 6-1, 7-5, which clinched the match win for the Cards.
While Steinbach dropped his singles match to Pinheiro in a tight match that went to a third set, Pinheiro came out with the win 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 on Court 2. Louisville took the match 6-1.
The second match saw Louisville take the doubles point once again, with Avendaño and Rodrigues winning over Bulnes and Martin, 6-3 on Court 1, with Kosuke Nakanishi and Piet Steveker defeating Christian Cantos Siemers and Nuno Pinheiro 6-3 on Court 2.
In singles, Louisville only needed wins from Mayew, El Amine, and Peña to secure the 4-1 match win.
Mayew defeated Contreras 6-0, 6-4 on Court 2, El Amine defeated Martin 6-2, 6-3 on Court 4 and Peña took down Darko Kolevski early 6-2, 6-0 on Court 6. Louisville swept the second match 4-0.
Louisville (2-0) will take on the Northwestern Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers (0-1) in a doubleheader on Monday, January 20th. The Cardinals will face Northwestern at 12pm, and Xavier at 5 p.m.
Louisville 6, EKU 1
Singles competition
1. Natan Rodrigues (LOU) def. Fernando Bulnes (EKU) 6-2, 6-1
2. Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) def. Andre Steinbach (LOU) 6-4, 4-6, 10-8
3. Will Mayew (LOU) def. Chri Cantos Siemers (EKU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Miguel Avendano (LOU) def. Romeo Navarro (EKU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Hamza El Amine (LOU) def. Pepe Miralles (EKU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Piet Steveker (LOU) def. Ryan Kitchin (EKU) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. Enrique Pena/Natan Rodrigues (LOU) def. Fernando Bulnes/Mario Martin (EKU) 6-3
2. Chri Cantos Siemers/Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) def. Will Mayew/Piet Steveker (LOU) 6-3
3. Miguel Avendano/Andre Steinbach (LOU) def. Adrian Contreras/Ryan Kitchin (EKU) 6-3
Match Notes:
EKU 0-1
Louisville 1-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,4,6,3,1,2)
T-2:32
Louisville 4, EKU 0
Singles competition
1. Andre Steinbach (LOU) vs. Fernando Bulnes (EKU) 7-6 (7-5), 1-1, unfinished
2. Will Mayew (LOU) def. Adrian Contreras (EKU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Miguel Avendano (LOU) vs. Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) 6-3, 5-2, unfinished
4. Hamza El Amine (LOU) def. Mario Martin (EKU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Piet Steveker (LOU) vs. Chri Cantos Siemers (EKU) 6-3, 5-5, unfinished
6. Enrique Pena (LOU) def. Darko Kolevski (EKU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Miguel Avendano/Natan Rodrigues (LOU) def. Fernando Bulnes/Mario Martin (EKU) 6-3
2. Kosuke Nakanishi/Piet Steveker (LOU) def. Chri Cantos Siemers/Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) 6-3
3. Russell Lokko/Enrique Pena (LOU) vs. Adrian Contreras/Ryan Kitchin (EKU) 4-4, unfinished
Match Notes:
EKU 0-4
Louisville 2-0
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,2,4)
T-1:59
"It's always exciting to get the season started," said head coach Rodrigo da Silva. "We had some players with nerves and a little bit of anxiousness, but they were still able to overcome that and get their first win, which is great. In the second match, everyone played a lot sharper and the level of play was much higher. Now it's time to get back to work and get ready for another doubleheader against two great teams on Monday."
The first match opened with a 6-3 doubles win from Miguel Avendaño and Andre Steinbach, over Adrian Contreras and Ryan Kitchin on Court 3. This was followed by a 6-3 win in favor of the Colonels, with Christian Cantos Siemers and Nuno Pinheiro defeating Will Mayew and Piet Steveker.
However, the Cards clinched the singular doubles point with a win from Enrique Peña and Natan Rodrigues, who won 6-3 over Fernando Bulnes and Mario Martin of EKU.
Heading into the singles matches, Rodrigues, Mayew, Avendaño and Hamza El Amine all made quick work of their opponents, each winning in two sets.
Steveker won in two sets against Kitchin, 6-1, 7-5, which clinched the match win for the Cards.
While Steinbach dropped his singles match to Pinheiro in a tight match that went to a third set, Pinheiro came out with the win 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 on Court 2. Louisville took the match 6-1.
The second match saw Louisville take the doubles point once again, with Avendaño and Rodrigues winning over Bulnes and Martin, 6-3 on Court 1, with Kosuke Nakanishi and Piet Steveker defeating Christian Cantos Siemers and Nuno Pinheiro 6-3 on Court 2.
In singles, Louisville only needed wins from Mayew, El Amine, and Peña to secure the 4-1 match win.
Mayew defeated Contreras 6-0, 6-4 on Court 2, El Amine defeated Martin 6-2, 6-3 on Court 4 and Peña took down Darko Kolevski early 6-2, 6-0 on Court 6. Louisville swept the second match 4-0.
Louisville (2-0) will take on the Northwestern Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers (0-1) in a doubleheader on Monday, January 20th. The Cardinals will face Northwestern at 12pm, and Xavier at 5 p.m.
Louisville 6, EKU 1
Singles competition
1. Natan Rodrigues (LOU) def. Fernando Bulnes (EKU) 6-2, 6-1
2. Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) def. Andre Steinbach (LOU) 6-4, 4-6, 10-8
3. Will Mayew (LOU) def. Chri Cantos Siemers (EKU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Miguel Avendano (LOU) def. Romeo Navarro (EKU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Hamza El Amine (LOU) def. Pepe Miralles (EKU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Piet Steveker (LOU) def. Ryan Kitchin (EKU) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. Enrique Pena/Natan Rodrigues (LOU) def. Fernando Bulnes/Mario Martin (EKU) 6-3
2. Chri Cantos Siemers/Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) def. Will Mayew/Piet Steveker (LOU) 6-3
3. Miguel Avendano/Andre Steinbach (LOU) def. Adrian Contreras/Ryan Kitchin (EKU) 6-3
Match Notes:
EKU 0-1
Louisville 1-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,4,6,3,1,2)
T-2:32
Louisville 4, EKU 0
Singles competition
1. Andre Steinbach (LOU) vs. Fernando Bulnes (EKU) 7-6 (7-5), 1-1, unfinished
2. Will Mayew (LOU) def. Adrian Contreras (EKU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Miguel Avendano (LOU) vs. Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) 6-3, 5-2, unfinished
4. Hamza El Amine (LOU) def. Mario Martin (EKU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Piet Steveker (LOU) vs. Chri Cantos Siemers (EKU) 6-3, 5-5, unfinished
6. Enrique Pena (LOU) def. Darko Kolevski (EKU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Miguel Avendano/Natan Rodrigues (LOU) def. Fernando Bulnes/Mario Martin (EKU) 6-3
2. Kosuke Nakanishi/Piet Steveker (LOU) def. Chri Cantos Siemers/Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) 6-3
3. Russell Lokko/Enrique Pena (LOU) vs. Adrian Contreras/Ryan Kitchin (EKU) 4-4, unfinished
Match Notes:
EKU 0-4
Louisville 2-0
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,2,4)
T-1:59
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,1
#1 Singles Match
12
Fernando Bulnes / 0 [EKU]
21
66
#2 Singles Match
123
Nuno Pinheiro / 0 [EKU]
6410
468
#3 Singles Match
12
Chri Cantos Siemers / 0 [EKU]
44
66
#4 Singles Match
12
Romeo Navarro / 0 [EKU]
22
66
#5 Singles Match
12
Pepe Miralles / 0 [EKU]
10
66
#6 Singles Match
12
Ryan Kitchin / 0 [EKU]
15
67
Order of Finish:
5,4,6,3,1,2
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ 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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