AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 37 University of Hawai`i men's tennis team suffered its second loss of the season, falling to No. 5 Texas, 4-0, during the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Saturday at UT's Penick-Allison Tennis Center. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 0-2 on the year.

 

By finishing in the top 60 of the final 2010 Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll the Rainbow Warriors gained its second straight invitation to the Kick-Off Weekend, in essence the qualifying rounds for the 2011 ITA National Team Indoor Championships. UH, however, could not get past fifth-ranked Longhorns, the second Top 20 opponent UH has faced so far this.

 

Each team is guaranteed two matches during the weekend and the Rainbow Warriors will next face No. 34 Alabama on Sunday, Jan. 30 at 10:00 a.m. CT. The Longhorns, meanwhile, will meet No. 29 Rice with a berth to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on the line. The Owls defeated the Crimson Tide, 4-1.

 

Texas got off to a fast start in doubles to secure the doubles point. UT's fifth-ranked duo of Ed Corrie and Jean Andersen struck first at No. 1 doubles with an 8-3 win over Dennis Lajola and freshman newcomer Danilo Casanova. UT's Whitehead and Alex Hilliard broke Hawai'i early at third doubles and raced out to an 8-1 win over the Warriors' Jonathan Brooklyn and David Schuster to clinch the doubles point for the Longhorns. The remaining doubles match was suspended.

 

Damico made short work of Leo Rosenberg and posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory at second singles. Whitehead blanked  Casanova in the first set and cruised to a 6-2 second-set win to give Texas a 3-0 lead. Sitaram followed suit and blanked the Warriors' Dmytro Kovalyov in the first set before registering a 6-3 second-set win to give Texas its fourth and match-deciding point. The remaining matches were called given that the match's outcome had been determined.

 

UH was competitive on the other three singles courts. Lajola was ahead of Corrie 6-3, 5-4 on the No. 1 court when play was suspended. Jeremy Tweedt was on the verge of taking the second set against Andersen on the No. 3 court, while the freshman Brooklyn dropped a tiebreaker in the first set against No. 78 Vasko Mladenov on court No. 4.

 

 

1. No. 5 Ed Corrie/Jean Andersen (UT) def. Dennis Lajola/Danilo Casanova (UH) 8-3

2. No. 35 Kellen Damico/David Holiner (UT) def. Daniel Llarenas/Jeremy Tweedt (UH) 7-2, susp. 

3. Daniel Whitehead/Alex Hilliard (UT) def. Jonathan Brooklyn/David Schuster (UH) 8-1

Order of Finish: 1, 3

 

1. Ed Corrie (UT) vs. Dennis Lajola (UH) 3-6, 4-5, susp.

2. Kellen Damico (UT) def. Leo Rosenberg (UH)  6-1, 6-2

3. Jean Andersen (UT) vs. Jeremy Tweedt (UH) 6-4, 2-5, susp.

4. No. 78 Vasko Mladenov (UT) vs. Jonathan Brooklyn (UH)  7-6, susp.

5. Daniel Whitehead (UT) def. Danilo Casanova (UH)  6-0, 6-2

6. Sudanwa Sitaram (UT) def. Dmytro Kovalyov (UH) 6-0, 6-3

Order of Finish: 2, 5, 6