TCU
HEB Baylor Invitational
Frogs Hit Baylor Courts to Open Fall Season
9/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Sept. 25, 2009
WACO, Texas—The TCU men's tennis team featured eight athletes in competition Friday, as the squad opened its fall tournament season with the start of the three-day HEB Baylor Intercollegiate Invitational at the Baylor Tennis Center.
Three of TCU's five entries in the singles 'A' draw won opening-round matches, as No. 7 seed Slah Mbarek downed UT Arlington's Dimitry Minkin (6-0, 6-1), ninth-seeded Emanuel Brighiu dispatched Louisiana Lafayette's Javier Pulgar-Garcia (7-5, 6-4) and Chris Price defeated Texas A&M's John Lewis (6-4, 6-4).
Each of the three Frogs fell in the ensuing Round of 32. Brighiu and Price dropped tough three-setters to Rice's Isamu Tachibana (6-7[4], 6-4, 6-3) and Oklahoma's George Chanturia, respectively, while Mbarek suffered a straight-set loss to Wisconsin's Patrick Pohlmann (6-1, 7-5).
Zach Nichols and Marius Cirstea both fell out of the 'A' draw with first-round losses before advancing to Saturday's third round of consolation play. Cirstea faced a challenging opponent to open his college career in the first round of the main draw, as Oklahoma State's Oleksandr Nedovyesov, the draw's top overall seed, earned a 6-2, 6-2 win. But Cirstea rebounded by defeating Texas' Daniel Whitehead in Round 2 of the consolation bracket (6-4, 1-6, 1-0[4]) to extend his weekend. Nichols, who also suffered a first-round defeat at the hands of a Cowboy in 14th-seeded Anton Bobytskyi (6-4, 6-3), received a pair of byes in the consolation field into Saturday's third round.
In doubles, Mbarek and Price, the No. 4 seed in the 'A' draw, won their opening round match, 8-6, over Texas A&M's Alex Grigorov and John Lewis. The pair then played a late match in the Round of 16, dropping an 8-6 decision to Arkansas' Matt Hogan and Chris Nott that did not finish until nearly midnight. Brighiu and Nichols were eliminated earlier in the day from the 'A' draw's first round by Tulsa's Phillip Stevens and Ashley Watling, 8-5.
Competition at the HEB Baylor Intercollegiate Invitational continues Saturday through Sunday. Nichols and Cirstea are the lone Frogs still scheduled for competition. Both players will begin Round 3 of the 'A' singles draw consolation bracket Saturday.
Complete draws and results from the weekend's competition at Baylor can be found by visiting the link at the top of this page.
Results
HEB Baylor Intercollegiate Invitational
Sept. 25, 2009
Waco, Texas (Baylor Tennis Center)
MEN'S OPEN SINGLES A DRAW
Round of 64
Chris Price (TCU) def. John Lewis (Texas A&M) - 6-4, 6-4
(14) Anton Bobytskyi (Oklahoma State) def. Zach Nichols (TCU) - 6-4, 6-3
(7) Slah Mbarek (TCU) def. Dimitry Minkin (UT Arlington) - 6-0, 6-1
(9) Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) def. Javier Pulgar-Garcia (La. Lafayette) - 7-5, 6-4
(1) Oleksandr Nedovyesov (Oklahoma State) def. Marius Cirstea (TCU) - 6-2, 6-2
Round of 32
Isamu Tachibana (Rice) def. (9) Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) - 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3
Patrick Pohlmann (Wisconsin) def. (7) Slah Mbarek (TCU) - 6-1, 7-5
George Chanturia (Oklahoma) def. Chris Price (TCU) - 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Consolation - Round 1
Marius Cirstea (TCU) def. Daniel Whitehead (Texas) - 6-4; 1-6; 1-0(4)
MEN'S OPEN SINGLES B DRAW
Round of 64
Santiago Centeno (TCU) def. Brett Rodgers (Air Force) - 6-2, 6-2
Cameron Nash (TCU) def. Chris Gordon (Baylor) - 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Paul Chappell (TCU) def. Rusty Turpin (Tulsa) - 6-4, 6-2
Round of 32
Carlin Murray (La. Lafayette) def. Paul Chappell (TCU) - 6-4, 7-5
Max Stratmann (UT San Antonio) def. Cameron Nash (TCU) - 6-4, 6-2
Kayvon Karimi (Texas A&M) def. Santiago Centeno (TCU) - 6-2, 6-1
MEN'S OPEN DOUBLES A DRAW
Round of 32
Stevens/Watling (Tulsa) def. Brighiu/Nichols (TCU) - 8-5
(4) Mbarek/Price (TCU) def. Grigorov/Lewis (Texas A&M) - 8-6
Round of 16
Hogan/Nott (Arkansas) def. (4) Mbarek/Price (TCU) - 8-6
MEN'S OPEN DOUBLES B DRAW
Round of 32
Morales/Stakne (New Mexico State) def. Centeno/Nash (TCU) - 8-6
Bobytskyi/West (Oklahoma State) def. Chappell/Cirstea (TCU) - 8-4
Players Mentioned
