Frog Tennis Looks for Continued Momentum in 2009
1/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Jan. 19, 2009
With the TCU men's tennis team opening its spring season Wednesday, GoFrogs.com takes an in-depth look at a team that returns all but one letterwinner from last season's team that won the Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament championships.
FORT WORTH--Head Coach Dave Borelli and the TCU men's tennis team produced a breakthrough season in 2008 that expedited the program's pursuit of a return to status as one of the nation's elite squads.
Borelli's second Horned Frog team, which reached the 20-win level, finished the season ranked 34th in the ITA national ratings after returning to the NCAA Regional for the 17th time in the last 18 years. The 34-spot rise in the rankings from 2007, when they finished 68th in the country, was the highest of any team in the nation last season.
Borelli believes the momentum gained from the successful 2008 campaign will help fuel another step in the right direction in 2009.
"Last year was significant, because as a new coach you have to take advantage of those opportunities to really make a statement and rise above mediocrity," Borelli said. "I legitimately feel we are a top-30 team now, and we will continue to be at that level and only get better. I really believe the program is back to having a solid foundation. There is a road ahead of us, a plan, and I feel we will only improve as time goes along."
Only one major piece was lost from the team that won Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament championships last season in top singles player Cosmin Cotet. Despite the absence of Cotet, who finished the season ranked No. 30 nationally, seven Frog letterwinners return in 2008, including five sophomores who helped make up the top-seven singles positions. Joining the squad is a group of five newcomers who will give TCU the type of quality depth the program has not seen is several seasons.
"I know this year we are an improved team," Borelli said. "Every year we have gotten better and better. I feel that this is the deepest team we have had in four or five years."
TCU's depth will be on display particularly in doubles play, where Borelli thinks his squad can be among the country's best units.
"Based on our ability, I think we can win the doubles point against any top-5 team in the country," Borelli said. "I feel that's an advantage. It will give us an edge in matches that we play against anybody heading into singles play."
The Frogs will need to put its improvement on display in 2008, as the squad faces a daunting schedule featuring 16 teams ranked in the preseason among the nation's top 75. Seven of those opponents are rated 25th or higher.
"It will be a challenge for us, but I felt that we needed to play the best teams on a consistent basis for us to get to the next level," Borelli said. "If we can manage to reach 20 wins again this season, we should definitely be a top-20 program."
Helping Borelli mentor this season's squad will be first-year assistant coach Jason Marshall. A two-time Big Ten champion at Purdue in 2000 and 2001 and former member of the ATP Tour, Marshall spent last as an assistant coach at Wright State after serving as a coach for the Tahitian national team in 2007.
"Jason helps bring our program to another level," Borelli said. "As a player and coach, he understands what it takes to get to that next level. He's a good role model and person to give direction to players who want to excel in college and make it to the pros."
Similar to last season, this year's team features only one senior in Kriegler Brink. Brink posted the fifth-best individual singles winning percentage in program history a year ago (.821) while playing primarily in the No. 3 and 4 slots. He was selected to both the All-MWC singles and doubles teams and is ranked 97th by the ITA entering the spring.
"This year is Kriegler's final year, and he has been of such value," Borelli said. "His last season is one that very few people achieve. I think he is the kind of guy you want to be on the court to play. I feel very confident when he's playing in a match were everything is on the line. He's the best volleyer in college tennis."
Junior Adrian Simon also is back after playing everywhere from second through fifth positions in the singles lineup a year ago. The 6-2, 175-pound righthander climbed as high as 54th in the national rankings as a sophomore and is a player whose improvement caught his head coach's eye in fall competition.
"Adrian is the player who I feel will have the biggest improvement on the squad this year," Borelli said. "He had a great fall last year and struggled in the middle of the season. He regained his confidence late in the year and played really well at the NCAA Regionals. I just feel that he is going to have a breakout season with a year of experience under his belt."
Joining Brink and Simon is a collection of six sophomores who helped TCU excel last season despite being one of the nation's youngest squads. Rated highest among the group by the ITA entering the spring is Emanuel Brighiu (No. 93), who went 11-11 in singles play in 2008 primarily at the No. 2 position. Brighiu joined Brink and Cotet on the All-MWC singles team as a freshman.
"Emanuel is the most talented player on the team," Borelli said. "With improvement in his focus, I think he can become a dominant college player."
Brighiu is slated to match up in doubles action with Simon. The tandem had an outstanding fall showing that helped it grab the ITA's No. 12 ranking entering the spring.
Zach Nichols, who played primarily at the No. 5 slot in singles as a freshman in 2008, returns after posting a 30-8 mark, which ranked eighth all-time at TCU in single-season winning percentage. Borelli sees only more success for the Austin, Texas, native as his career moves along.
"Zach has made a big improvement in his physical abilities," Borelli said. "He's a tall kid who's beginning to fill out and become bigger. I think he's going to have a good year, but his best years are still ahead of him as he develops. He's another guy who I feel when the match is on the line will compete."
Nichols teamed up in doubles play last season with sophomore Jack Seider, as the pair posted a 14-10 record. Seider, who owns an excellent return game, looks to stay healthy following bouts with mononucleosis during his first two seasons on campus.
"Jack has the best return in college doubles," Borelli said. "He knows how to play, and he is finally in a situation where he can play at 100 percent. He's been handcuffed the last two years by mono. He's worked very had this year on the court and in class, and he's one of the positives to come out of the fall for me personally as a coach."
Casey Powers provided one of the team's biggest individual victories last spring, as he gave TCU a win at the No. 6 position during its MWC regular-season title-clinching win over New Mexico. He went 15-6 overall between the No. 5 and 6 positions during the season.
"Casey was last year's unsung hero," Borelli said. "He also had a bout of mono that he had to deal with late in the summer and in the early fall. He's regaining his form, and I feel that he is going to be an improved, more physically strong player for us."
Mike Donovan, the final returning sophomore, redshirted in 2008 and will see his first dual meet action this season.
"Mike is a really positive addition to the team," Borelli said. "He works hard, and his mentality really provides us with an advantage in that he has no fear. He is just a tough guy. I think his work ethic and attitude gives him a kind of warrior mentality."
TCU had two transfers join the program in the offseason who competed in the fall, Kelubia Mabatah (Purdue) and Cameron Nash (DePauw), in addition to Paul Chappell, who is sitting out the entire 2008-09 campaign after transferring from Indiana.
"Kelubia is a workhorse," Borelli said. "His work ethics on the court and in the classroom are outstanding. He has come a long way in improving some areas of his game.
"Cameron is a team-oriented guy. He's a good athlete and student and one of those guys who makes us a better team. He's another player with a lot of upside."
Two more high-talent additions were brought in for the start of the spring semester in sophomore transfer Christopher Price and freshman Slah Mbarek. The two players have the potential to earn high singles positions for TCU, in addition to making a considerable impact in doubles action.
Price, a former five-star recruit at the prep level, arrived at TCU from Duke, where he played at the No. 1 doubles position as a freshman last season. He finished the year with a 17-16 overall record in doubles and was one half of the nation's No. 36-rated doubles tandem earlier this fall.
"Christopher is a big plus for us, because of his style of game. He is similar to Kriegler in that he is a lefty serve-and-volleyer. We are one of the few schools in the country that has two guys like that. Jason (Marshall) and I are very familiar with that type of game, so I think he will really benefit with what we can do with him. He is all upside."
Mbarek brings a tremendous amount of international experience with him to TCU. A product of Tunisia, Mbarek reached a combined world ITF junior singles ranking as high as No. 95, as well as being ranked as high as No. 1,377 in the men's ATP singles rankings.
"Slah is simply one of the fastest players on the tennis court that I have seen in a long time. The guy is so fast, yet very complete. He's another hard worker and good student. I'm excited about what he can do. He's a guy who will be playing high in our lineup for the next four years."
TCU's young lineup will face a challenging start to the season with a dual at No. 24 Rice on Jan. 21 before competing in the ITA Indoor Regional in Austin, Texas, Jan. 30 and 31.
Players Mentioned
