TALLAHASSEE, FL. – Less than two weeks from their last collegiate tournament, FAMU's Salif Kante and Takura Happy made a splash on the professional circuit at the USTA's Tallahassee Challenger, a professional meet so prominent that the winner will be entered into the main draw at the French Open. The tournament is played on a clay surface, something that is disadvantageous for the Rattlers who are used to playing on hard courts. Kante and Happy won their doubles match, advancing in the tournament.

Kante was given a special invitation as the wild card to play singles as well. The invitation was timely as the USTA needed to replace Mardy Fish (World Ranked  No.44 by ATP), who withdrew close to this past weekend. Karen Vogter, the tournament's director, made the push to get Kante into the tournament. 

Though he was defeated by Gerald Melzer of Austria 6-2, 6-0 in his first professional match, he took away the confidence that he can play on this professional level.

Melzer is no stranger to professional tennis. Ranked No.240 in the world by the ATP, he first joined the professional ranks in 2008. The Vienna, Austria native is a member of the Emirates ATP ranking, which is factored into the overall world ATP rankings.

The win for Happy and Kante is their first time playing since winning their double match at the No.1 position at the MEAC Tennis Championship in Raleigh, N.C. on Apr.20th.  The two have had great success playing together, which could be attributed to the fact that they are roommates.

Happy earned MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2012, and All-MEAC in every year since coming to FAMU.  His style is a complete contrast to Kante's. Happy is an aggressive player, who wins by overwhelming his opponent. That formula has been successful for him during his career at FAMU.

Kante's style is more of a facilitator who allows the opponent to make the mistake most of the time, while taking opportunities that are there where they arise. The combination of the two styles has served them well, as they were recognized as the top doubles team at the No.1 position by the MEAC at this year's tournament.

Kante and Happy will play another doubles match tomorrow at the Forest Meadows Tennis Complex. The time has not been posted for the match, but information can be found on the tournament's official Web site, http://www.tallahasseechallenger.com. For the complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com.