The Kenyon men’s tennis team began its season by hosting the Kenyon Invitational over the weekend. The Owls played well overall, finishing with a combined 23-10 record in singles while also winning nine of the 15 doubles matches. Rakkan Audeh ’25 and Luis Platas ’23 were stellar for the Owls, both going 3-0 in singles, while Rishil Kondapaneni ’25 and Paulo Pocasangre ’26 went 2-0.  Evan Dean ’23, Thomas Kallarakal ’23, Christophe Leblanc ’25, Harshal Rukhaiyar ’24, Jacob Smith ’23 and Eric Zhang ’25 all went 2-1, while Eliezer Gonzalez ‘26 went 1-1.

Platas was a standout of the Invitational, going undefeated in both singles and doubles. He did not drop a set in all three of his doubles matches, beating opponents from Washington and Lee University (Va.), Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) and rival Denison University. Platas outlined in an email to the Collegian how he hopes this tournament is just the beginning. “Going into my senior year, I have decided I will focus more on my tennis and finally achieve the goals that I set for myself since my Freshman year, become an All-American, and have a great run in the NCAA finals,” he said. 

In doubles play, Platas paired up with Gonzalez. The two won all three matches, including a thrilling 8-6 win over a Washington and Lee pair. Platas had only good things to say about his dynamic with Gonzalez. “He is a player who likes to play with a lot of energy and intensity and with whom I think we will have great results together.” 

The Owls have a short fall season with only two more tournaments. But Platas is enthusiastic about the road ahead and is hopeful that the team can end up as one of the top teams in Division III. “This year, I believe that we have a really strong team that could compete against anyone,” he said. The team’s next tournament is the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region Championship at Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.).