NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana tennis will play three singles matches and two doubles matches Thursday in the opening round (round of 16) of the ITA Cup Championships at Rome, Ga.
        The schedule (times Eastern Standard, seedings in parentheses):
        •  9 a.m. men's singles — Ivan Vazquez, XULA, vs. Santiago Villarruel (1), Georgia Gwinnett
        •  9 a.m. men's singles — Nereo Suarez, XULA, vs. Javier Gallego, Southeastern (Fla.)
        •  11 a.m. women's singles — Maja Brnic, XULA, vs. Cato Tangkau (4), Keiser
        •  1:30 p.m. men's doubles — Nereo Suarez/Ivan Vazquez, XULA, vs. Lucas Grana/Lucas Perez, Tennessee Wesleyan
        •  3 p.m. women's doubles — McKenna Wheatley/Maja Brnic (4), XULA, vs. Marylove Edwards/Diana Ilie, Georgia Gwinnett
        Tournament site is Rome Tennis Center at Berry College (100 Match Point Way, zip 30185, phone 706-236-4490), and the four-day event will conclude Sunday. Thursday weather forecast: sunny with a high of 83 degrees.
        •  Wheatley and Brnic in doubles and Vazquez in singles were automatic qualifiers after winning titles at the regional tournament. Wheatley will play ITA Cup doubles for the third consecutive year. She played with Mbali Langa the past two years, reaching the semifinals in 2023 and winning the title in 2024 with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory in the final against SCAD Atlanta's Shalimar Talbi and Adrianna Kluska.
        XULA's head coach is Alan Green, who's in his 23rd season at his alma mater and is a five-time ITA NAIA national coach of the year.