Andres Saenz (pictured) and partner Motasem ALhouni earned a come-from-behind victory in their first round matchup at the NCAA Individual Doubles Tournament.
MASON, OHIO – The Gustavus Adolphus men’s tennis tandem of Motasem ALhouni (Sr., Tripoli, Libya) and Andres Saenz (So., Cancun, Mexico) were victorious in their first round matchup at the NCAA Individual Doubles Tournament played at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Thursday afternoon. ALhouni and Saenz defeated Kaylan Chadalavada and Connor Hudson of Pomona College 6-7 (10), 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals of the national competition.
“Mota and Andres really hung in there today,” said head coach Tommy Valentini. “They showed a lot of trust in each other and their games. They’ve taken everybody’s best shot all year long and have battled through a lot of difficult situations and today was no different. After a tough first set, they stayed poised, were able to regroup and stuck with their game plan. They played a great second set and in the third, were able to get up early and pull out some tight games. It was a really nice performance, especially their return games.”
“To compete with the top teams in the country, you have to be bold, and I thought Mota and Andres did that today,” added Valentini. “Going into tomorrow, my hope is they’ll continue to stay calm, energized and poised, and continue to make the proper adjustments over the course of a two-of-three set match. They’ve used their athleticism well so far by using their speed to extend points and they’ll have to do that again tomorrow. It’s a great opportunity for them to embrace a fun setting and a fun atmosphere and I’m excited to see what they bring.”
First-year Mohanad ALhouni (Tripoli, Libya) was also in action for the Gusties, as he competed in the individual singles draw. ALhouni faced stiff competition, as he fell 6-0, 6-1 to Tyler Carey of the University of Mary Washington which ended his season.
“I was impressed with how Mohanad carried himself today,” said Valentini. “His opponent had a game plan and executed it very well and then went onto the next round to defeat one of the top-rated players in the country. Credit to Mo for continuing to battle, continuing to try and find ways to win and carrying himself with a great deal of poise in a challenging situation. I think he learned a lot about himself today and hopefully he’ll be able to use it as a springboard into the future. I couldn’t be more proud of his season and how he represented our program.”
Motasem ALhouni and Saenz will be back in action tomorrow when they take on Robert Kjellberg and Sebastian Sikh of North Carolina Wesleyan College. That quarterfinal match will begin at 4 p.m.