The Florida A&M men’s tennis team (3-3) had a rough start on the season but is slowly creating team chemistry.
With a winning mindset, the Rattlers left nothing but net against the Tulane University Green Wave Friday (2-3), earning a 5-2 victory.
This feat marked FAMU’s third consecutive victory, as it defeated both Southern Methodist and Florida Gulf Coast 4-3 last weekend.
The Rattlers fell short to Tulane in recent meetings but came through this season, defeating nationally ranked Idan Mark in singles and doubles competition.
“We took down a nationally ranked player. We worked really well as a team and came out very strong,” said Salif Kante, a junior from Senegal, West Africa. “We had a good game, all we wanted to do was win and we did.”
FAMU surged to a 3-2 win in the doubles category, as Levon Clark and Kante defeated Idan Mark and Joe Young.
Mark and Young mounted a comeback late in the match, but Clark and Kante resisted with an impressive team display to earn a victory.
Temuera Asafu-Adjaye and Takura Happy defeated Coby Kramer and Cedric Rutsaert.
Tulane’s Rodrigo Rappaccioli and Shaye Wali defeated Chidi Gabriel and Fabrice Myrtil.
“We played well, in doubles we came out strong and played great even though we had to play through horrible windy weather,” said Levon Clark, a junior from Orlando, Fla. “Winning the doubles helped build our momentum. I really think this by far is the best match that we played really good so far as a team.”
In singles competition, Kante sealed a 6-2 victory in straight sets in the second spot. Gabriel, in the third spot, won 6-3, 6-4. Happy won 6-2, 7-6 in the fourth spot, and Lavon Clarke won 7-6, 7-4 in the fifth spot.
Adajye lost to Takuma Oheshi in the sixth spot and Myrtil lost to Adam Bernstein
Assistant coach Michael Moore said the Rattlers clinched a victory in one of its most challenging matches this season.
“We knew going into this match that it would be one of our toughest of the year. For the first time everybody played well, even though it was tough we came out with a deserved win,” Moore said.
FAMU will return to action Saturday in Thibodaux, La. to take on Nicholls State at 1 p.m.