TCU
Columbia
Frogs Drop Close Match to Columbia, 4-3
3/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 16, 2010
FORT WORTH—The TCU men's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 59 Columbia Tuesday at Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The match, which was moved indoors due to wet weather, marked the first of three straight for the Horned Frogs this week.
TCU, listed No. 42 in Tuesday's latest release of the ITA national team rankings, fell to 5-4 this season with its second straight loss, while Columbia improved to 8-3
The Lions opened play Tuesday by winning a doubles point that went down to the third match before taking three of the first four singles decisions to clinch victory.
Junior Emanuel Brighiu and sophomore Paul Chappell kept TCU in the race for the doubles point with an 8-6 victory at the No. 3 position over Rajeev Deb-Sen and Kevin Kung following an 8-4 loss at the No. 2 spot by junior Zach Nichols and freshman Sören Goritzka to CU's Haig Schneidermann and Nathaniel Gery. The Lions clinched the point with an 8-6 win at No. 1 by Jonathan Wong and Mihai Nichifor over the TCU pairing of junior Christopher Price and sophomore Slah Mbarek.
In singles, Nichols, who entered the individual national rankings for the first time in his career Tuesday, kept up his early-season success. The Austin, Texas, native, now ranked No. 99 nationally in singles, posted a three-set victory at the No. 2 position over Nichifor, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-4.
Brighiu earned his third consecutive win after moving into the No. 3 slot following two straight matches at No. 5. He downed Schneidermann in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5. Price added an easy straight-set win of his own at No. 6 over Gery, 6-1, 6-2.
The team victory-deciding match proved to by the contest at No. 5 singles, as Columbia's Deb-Sen outlasted Goritzka in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. The Lions also posted singles wins by Wong at No. 1 over Mbarek, 6-1, 6-2, and Cyril Bucher at No. 4 over freshman Marius Cirstea, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
"Columbia played very well today, and they are a tough team to play indoors," head coach Dave Borelli said. "Since our win over Tulsa, we have just been making too many errors. We are not a very good team right now, but we just need to keep our heads up and keep improving. We have a season filled with tough matches still ahead of us, and we can certainly play better."
TCU returns to action Wednesday with its second road match this season against No. 8 Baylor. First serve from the Baylor Tennis Center is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Results
No. 59 Columbia 4, No. 42 TCU 3
March 16, 2010
Fort Worth, Texas
(Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center/Bernard "Tut" Bartzen Varsity Courts)
Doubles
1. Jonathan Wong/Mihai Nichifor (CU) def. Slah Mbarek/Christopher Price (TCU) 8-6
2. Haig Schneiderman/Nathaniel Gery (CU) def. Zach Nichols/Sören Goritzka (TCU) 8-4
3. Paul Chappell/Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) def. Rajeev Deb-Sen/Kevin Kung (CU) 8-6
Singles
1. Jonathan Wong (CU) def. Slah Mbarek (TCU) 6-1, 6-2
2. #99 Zach Nichols (TCU) def. Mihai Nichifor (CU) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-4
3. Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) def. Haig Schneiderman (CU) 6-4, 7-5
4. Cyril Bucher (CU) def. Marius Cirstea (TCU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. *Rajeev Deb-Sen (CU) def. Sören Goritzka (TCU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
6. Christopher Price (TCU) def. Nathaniel Gery (CU) 6-1, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,3,4,5*,6,2)
*-clinched team victory
Players Mentioned
