The Prairie View A&M Panthers faced tough competition in their doubleheader season opener against the SMU Mustangs at the Styslinger / Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas, Texas. On Thursday, January 9th, the match-ups across multiple disciplines showed invigorating performances though the Mustangs ultimately outmaneuvered the Panthers.
In the singles event, the Panthers struggled, finding themselves outplayed with a scoreline of SMU 5, Prairie View A&M 1. A notable exception was
Takuma Walker, who showcased his prowess, defeating Liam Sunkel of SMU with impressive scores of 6-2, 6-4. However, the effort was not enough to turn the tide in the overall singles matches, where SMU's Louis Cloud decisively beat Eduardo Nunez Prado with a sharp 6-0, 6-2 finish.
The doubles event also proved challenging for Prairie View A&M. The team of
Ethan Boswell and
Takuma Walker battled against SMU's Vikas Deo and Liam Sunkel, but the match ended ambiguously with the scores at 5-2, 95-0. This created intense moments in an unfinished game, contributing to an outcome of SMU 2, Prairie View A&M 0 in doubles.
This match leaves the Panthers with a record of 0-1 for the season.
In match two in singles play, Boswell stood out for Prairie View A&M, demonstrating competitive spirit by scoring the highest in his set matches against Louis Cloud, although falling short with scores of 3, 0, 0. Other players, including
Abdulraheem Isa,
Ashton Bunch, Peter-Gooding,
Devyn Gans, and
Ryan Boone, fought hard but struggled against a strong SMU lineup. The battles took a tough turn as none managed to trend towards a win throughout their sets.
The doubles showcased similar bravery and strategic plays. Isa paired with Peter-Gooding to achieve the best performance among their teammates in the doubles, achieving an early lead in the first set. However, they did not secure a win, tapering off in the subsequent rounds against a well-prepared SMU duo of Jerry Barton and Ofek Shimanov.
This event marks the Panthers' continuation of a rough season with a current record falling to 0-2. Looking forward, Prairie View A&M's next event will be another test of resilience as they head to Houston, Texas, to face Rice University on January 20. The Panthers hope the change of scenery and experience garnered from tough matches like these will help in strategizing better outcomes in upcoming confrontations.
