BYU tennis: Cougars face in-state rival Utah

PROVO, Utah – After a big victory last week against Denver, the No. 45 BYU men’s tennis team will host in-state rival Utah on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MST at the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts.

The match is part of the annual Deseret First Duel with the winner receiving three points toward the competition. Utah currently leads 19-16.

The Cougars (9-2), winners of four straight matches, jumped five spots in the ITA rankings this week with recent wins over No. 37 Santa Clara and No. 52 Denver.

Junior Patrick Kawka, the West Coast Conference Player of the Month, is ranked No. 74 in the ITA polls. Kawka, along with teammate Francis Sargeant, are No. 59 in doubles play.

Utah (7-1) is led by No. 79 Slim Hamza at the No. 1 singles position.

The two rivals have competed in 105 matches all-time, including a 5-2 BYU victory last year in Salt Lake City.

Fans who are wearing blue and arrive at the beginning of the match will be entered to win a basketball autographed by former BYU standout, Jimmer Fredette. The winner will be announced once the match has been determined or once either team scores four points.

Admission is free.

Aaron Sorenson is the tennis sports information director at BYU.