Will Duval | Sports Director
The FIU tennis team prepares for the playoffs as it’s set to host the Conference USA Championships and begin their postseason campaign on Friday, April 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
Entering the tournament, the Panthers bolster a 16-2 overall record and are ranked No. 27 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
In their regular season finale on Saturday, April 13, they took a 4-1 victory over the FAU Owls and extended their win streak to 15 consecutive matches.
Sophomore Ekaterina Khairutdinova and senior Salma Loudili partnered up and claimed a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles. Their win marked FIU’s only doubles victory of the day, as they fell at both No. 1 and No. 3 doubles.
In singles, the Panthers dominated as a team and went undefeated at every court. After taking a 6-1 loss in her first set, sophomore Katerina Mandelikova rallied from behind and took a 6-0 victory in the third set at No. 4 singles.
Beyond Mandelikova, Khairutdinova carried her momentum from the doubles courts to the singles courts. She won both of her sets at No. 1 singles and outscored her opponent 12-4 in the match.
Through a dominant team performance in singles, FIU took a 4-1 victory and finished their regular season on a 15-match win streak. Heading into the playoffs, they will be hosting nine teams for the CUSA Championships.
Due to holding the most wins in the conference, the Panthers were awarded with the top-seed in the tournament. Their first round matchup comes against the winner of Sam Houston vs. UTEP on Thursday, April 18.
Looking to carry their momentum into the playoffs, the FIU tennis team is hosting the CUSA Championships and play their first match on Friday, April 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
The match is set to begin at 10 a.m. at the FIU Tennis Courts and can be watched live at Track.tennis.
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