REDS Drop Duals To Dal
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS tennis team opened their 2025-2026 Atlantic University Tennis League campaign with a spirited effort on Saturday, hosting the first dual match in program history at Fredericton’s Abony Family Tennis Centre.
Taking on the defending AUTL champion Dalhousie Tigers 1, both the men’s and women’s teams showed grit and promise in a pair of competitive 3–1 decisions.
Despite the losses, UNB head coach Chris Nadeau was encouraged by the level of play.
“For our first match of the season, and our first dual at Abony, I thought the effort was outstanding,” said Nadeau. “Dal is the defending champion for a reason, but our student-athletes showed a ton of fight from the very first ball.”
The evening began with doubles across two courts.
In the men’s doubles opener, UNB’s top pair of Ben Hamilton and James Farhoud-Watt battled the Tigers’ duo of Eric Liu and Stefan Hall in a high-intensity match that set the tone for the night. Dal edged out the tightly contested pro set 8-7, securing the tiebreak 7–4 and claiming the early 1–0 lead.
Singles began immediately after, where Dal’s Hall carried his momentum into an 8–0 win over UNB’s Peter Hebert, pushing the Tigers ahead 2–0.
Liu continued the Tigers’ strong run, defeating UNB’s Salman Basha 8–2 to clinch the dual.
UNB closed the men’s contest on a positive note as Hamilton delivered the REDS’ highlight of the evening, grinding out an 8–6 win over Dal’s Hamza Eltoukhi.
The victory brought the final score to 3–1 for Dal but underscored UNB’s ability to compete at the top of the lineup.
The women’s dual followed the same format, beginning with doubles.
Dalhousie claimed the opening point as Anna Nicolela and Teresa Martin defeated UNB’s Emma Murray and Emma Giberson by an 8-1 margin.
UNB responded immediately in singles, thanks to a strong performance from Jigisha Kumari, who controlled her match from start to finish, earning an 8-2 victory over Dal’s Dora Ouarda and tying the dual 1–1.
But the Tigers regained command as Teresa Martin topped Giberson 8–4 in a competitive back-and-forth match.
Dal sealed the dual as Darah Ross defeated Murray 8–2 to secure the 3–1 win.
“The energy in the building was fantastic,” said Coach Nadeau. “Fans, teammates, everyone fed off it. This gave us a clear picture of where we’re at and what we need to work on. Overall, it was a great first experience for our program and for the league.”
UNB returns to action later this month when they host Dalhousie 2. Those matches take place on Saturday, November 29th, at the Abony Family Tennis Centre.
STORY BY: Chris Nadeau and Andy Campbell/UNB REDS
PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB REDS