TCU
Baylor
Frogs Fall to No. 8 Baylor in Waco
3/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 17, 2010
WACO, Texas—The TCU men's tennis team fell on the road Wednesday evening by a 6-1 count to No. 8 Baylor at the Baylor Tennis Center. The match marked the Frogs' seventh in the last eight outings against a squad rated among the nation's top-66 teams.
TCU, listed No. 42 in Tuesday's latest release of the ITA national team rankings, dropped to 5-5 this season with its third straight loss, while Baylor improved to 13-2.
The evening started on a high note for the Frogs, which took two of three doubles matches to gain an early 1-0 edge on the Bears. BU responded by sweeping the six singles matches while earning its eighth straight victory.
TCU took the doubles point on the strength of wins at the top two positions. Juniors Emanuel Brighiu and Christopher Price improved to 3-3 this spring with an 8-4 victory at the No. 1 spot over BU's Jordan Rux and Maros Horny, which entered the day as the nation's No. 33-rated tandem. Sophomore Slah Mbarek and freshman Sören Goritzka followed with an 8-6 decision at No. 2 doubles over Denes Lukacs and Roberto Maytin that clinched TCU's team point.
"Good doubles play has always been a mainstay of our program," head coach Dave Borelli said. "We had gotten stale in that area and tried out a few different combinations before going back to how we lined up at the beginning of the year. The guys responded well in that area today."
Junior Zach Nichols and sophomore Paul Chappell dropped the third doubles match to Julian Bley and Attila Bucko, 8-7.
Baylor earned five of its six singles victories in straight sets. Freshman Marius Cirstea, facing Dominik Mueller at No. 3 singles, forced a third set before falling, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Mbarek and Nichols faced ranked opponents at the Nos. 1 and 2 positions, respectively. Mbarek fell to Lukacs, ranked No. 16, 6-1, 6-3, while Nichols lost to Rux, rated 28th, 6-4, 6-4. Nichols entered the day ranked 99th nationally in singles.
Other Frogs in singles action included: Brighiu, who fell to Bucko in the No. 3 slot by a count of 6-4, 6-4; Price, who suffered a 6-1, 7-5 setback to Maytin at No. 5; and Goritzka, who lost to Bley at No. 6 by a score of 6-1, 6-4. Bucko's win clinched Baylor's team victory.
"We really played well in doubles today, and I thought it was a step forward overall from yesterday, even though we lost in the singles," Borelli said. "We were more competitive overall, and I think it was just a good step forward to get back on track again.
"We have another match to play tomorrow, and now we need to just keep trying to figure out our best lineup in singles. We'll continue to move forward."
TCU returns to its home courts Thursday for the last of three straight days of competition, as the squad faces Sacramento State in a 6 p.m. match at Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
RESULTS
No. 8 Baylor 6, No. 42 TCU 1
March 17, 2010
Waco, Texas (Baylor Tennis Center)
Doubles
1. Emanuel Brighiu/Christopher Price (TCU) def. #33 Jordan Rux/Maros Horny (BU), 8-4
2. Soren Göritzka/Slah Mbarek (TCU) def. Denes Lukacs/Roberto Maytin (BU), 8-6
3. Julian Bley/Attila Bucko (BU) def. Paul Chappell/Zach Nichols (TCU), 8-7
Singles
1. #16 Denes Lukacs (BU) def. Slah Mbarek (TCU), 6-1, 6-3
2. #28 Jordan Rux (BU) def. #99 Zach Nichols (TCU), 6-4, 6-4
3. *Attila Bucko (BU) def. Emanuel Brighiu (TCU), 6-4, 6-4
4. Dominik Mueller (BU) def. Marius Cirstea (TCU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
5. Roberto Maytin (BU) def. Christopher Price (TCU), 6-1, 7-5
6. Julian Bley (BU) def. Sören Goritzka (TCU), 6-1, 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,6,5,3*,4,2)
*-clinched team victory
Players Mentioned
