KNOXVILLE, TENN. - It took a pair of back-handed snares by third baseman Ken Keltner to end Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 and like all great streaks they inevitably must come to an end and for the 52nd-rated Drake men's tennis team its national-best 42-match regular season winning streak came to a close on Saturday (Jan. 31) as 43rd-ranked Louisville posted a 7-0 triumph over the Bulldogs in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kickoff Weekend at the Goodfriend Tennis Center.

The lost was the first in the regular season for Drake since falling 5-2 at No. 32 Minnesota on Feb. 4, 2007 and dropped the Bulldogs to 0-1 on the campaign, while the Cardinals improved their ledger to 5-0.

“To win 42 in a row is amazing,” Drake head coach Chase Hodges commented.  “I'm not sure if that will ever be done again.  I'm very proud of the streak and it was a heck of a ride.”

The Bulldogs dug themselves an early hole as Louisville garnered victories at the top two doubles positions to assume a lead they didn't relinquish.  The Cardinals went on to claim wins at the top five singles slots to earn the triumph.

“We simply didn't play very well today and we certainly have a lot to work on,”  Hodges said.

Drake looks to rebound on Sunday (Feb. 1) as the Bulldogs close action in Tennessee with a 9:00 a.m. tilt versus No. 48 Harvard.

SINGLES:
No. 1 No. 47 Austen Childs (LOU) def. No. 116 Maor Zirkin (DU), 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 Viktor Maksimcuk (LOU) def. Mauricio Ballivian (DU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 No. 65 Simon Childs (LOU) def. Evgeny Silitski (DU), 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 Robert Rotaru (LOU) def. Ricardo Lau (DU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 5 Robert Hall (LOU) def. Ivan Mendoza (DU), 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 Andrew Carter (LOU) def. Guilherme Marsiglia (DU), 6-1, 6-3

DOUBLES:
No. 1 Childs/Childs (LOU) def. Zirkin/Silitski (DU), 8-1
No. 2 No. 44 Alejandro Calligari/Rotaru (LOU) def. Marsiglia/Lau (DU), 8-1
No. 3 Hall/Maksimcuk (LOU) led Ballivian/Mendoza (DU), 4-3 Did not finish