After a triumphant 2-0 start to the season for Indiana men’s tennis, the magic quickly evaporated for the Hoosiers, suffering a 6-1 beatdown to the University of Memphis on Jan. 21 to mark their first loss of the season.
The first three games represented a near mirror image of the Hoosiers’ 2023 season, with two strong wins against Dayton University and the University of Toledo before losing in Tennessee, which has not treated them well the past two years.
In 2023, the Hoosiers lost to Middle Tennessee State University 4-1, kicking off a series of road troubles for the team, as they finished with a 1-9 record away from the home.
Indiana’s recurring road woes started early, losing 2-0 in doubles by margins of 6-3 and 6-2 to give the Tigers the upper hand early on. The Hoosiers were never able to recover from the deficit in singles, dropping three out of the top four contests to clinch the loss.
The battle between the No. 1’s of each side was a key matchup, featuring All-American Athletics junior Pablo Alemany for Memphis and all-Big Ten sophomore Sam Landau for Indiana. The contested match between each team’s biggest star was a 2-0 win for Alemany, via 6-4 and 6-3 set wins. On court two, Tigers junior Connor Gannon and Hoosiers freshman Facundo Yunis had a tight-knit battle resulting in a three-set win for Gannon, finishing 7-4.
The lone point for the Hoosiers came from senior Michael Andre against senior Pau Fanlo, winning 7-3 in the third set. Fanlo is regarded as one of the best tennis players in the country, ranking 80 in the nation, per the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Andre is looking to get back on track following an injury-riddled 2023 spring, and grew a step closer with this victory.
The Tigers are off to a 4-0 start in the 2024 season, including a key 4-2 win against No. 11 Harvard University. Memphis also went 13-8 in the 2023 campaign and made an NCAA tournament appearance three years in a row, losing just three home games during those matches.
The Hoosiers hope their skills can rewrite their noted road struggles against a more manageable Dartmouth team on Jan. 26. Dartmouth finished 11-14 in 2023 and 9-12 in 2022. The match will be held at Boss Tennis Center at 6 p.m.
Follow reporter Matt Rudella (@mattrudellaIDS) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s tennis season.
