TCU
MWC Championships - Utah
Frogs Down Utah, Advance to MWC Semis
4/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 29, 2010
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The No. 72 TCU men's tennis team opened its weekend at the 2010 Mountain West Conference Championships with a 4-2 win over fifth-seeded Utah Thursday at the Frank and Vicki Fertitta Tennis Complex.
TCU improved to 10-12 overall on the spring and moves into the MWC Championship semifinals for the fifth-straight year. The victory snapped the Frogs' two-match losing streak and improved the squad's record to 6-2 in the all-time series with the Utes.
The morning began with the Frogs claiming the doubles point with wins at the top and bottom courts. TCU's top pairing of Emanuel Brighiu and Christopher Price, which is rated No. 37 nationally, got the Frogs started in doubles with an 8-5 victory from the No. 1 slot over Utah's Phillip Eilers and Alex Golding. The win was the seventh-straight triumph for TCU's top duo. The Frogs' team of Zach Nichols and Paul Chappell clinched the doubles point with an 8-5 win at the No. 3 position over the Utes' Stephen Jacobs and Benito Suriano.
Utah bounced back to begin singles action, earning a pair of wins to take an early 2-1 advantage in the team score. Jacobs stole the first victory over Chappell from the No. 6 spot, 6-4, 6-4, while TCU freshman Marius Cirstea dropped his match from the third flight to Golding, 6-4, 6-4.
Price knotted the team score for the Frogs at 2-2, taking a straight-set win away from Suriano at the No. 4 position. After stealing the opening set, the junior from Houston, Texas jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second set on his way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Brighiu came through from the top court to give TCU a 3-2 lead in the match with a straight-set triumph over Eilers, 7-5, 6-3. The victory moved the 2010 All-MWC selection to 8-11 for the spring and pushed the Frogs one win shy of cinching the match.
In the end, Nichols moved TCU into the semifinals with a tough three-set win from the second flight, defeating the Utes' Jason Smits, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. The Austin, Texas native is now 12-9 for the spring and 7-7 from the No. 2 slot.
"There's no pressure on us this weekend," TCU head coach Dave Borelli said. "We've had such a weird year and I think that we have nothing to lose. If we can go out with that attitude, play aggressive and have fun, we are capable of beating anybody. We are the team that has nothing to lose that nobody wants to play. It would be fun to come out here and get a couple of wins to build for next year. We've got a long road to go. We have a great team to play tomorrow."
TCU returns to action to take on the top-seeded BYU Cougars at Noon Friday. Fans can follow the live action from the MWC Championship Central page.
No. 72 TCU 4, Utah 2
April 29, 2010
MWC Championships Quarterfinals -- Las Vegas, Nevada
Frank and Vicki Fertitta Tennis Complex
Doubles
1. #37 Emanuel Brighiu/Christopher Price (TCU) def. Phillip Eilers/Alex Golding (Utah), 8-5
2. Cameron Nash/Soren Goritzka (TCU) vs. Timmy Allin/Jason Smits (Utah), 7-4, unfinished
3. Paul Chappell/Zach Nichols (TCU) def. Stephen Jacobs/Benito Suriano (Utah), 8-5
Singles
1. Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) def. Phillip Eilers (Utah), 7-5, 6-3
2. *Zach Nichols (TCU) def. Jason Smits (Utah), 6-0, 4-6, 6-4
3. Alex Golding (Utah) def. Marius Cerstea (TCU), 6-4, 6-4
4. Christopher Price (TCU) def. Benita Suriano (Utah), 6-4, 6-3
5. Soren Goritzka (TCU) vs. Timmy Allin (Utah), 6-7, 6-3, 4-0, unfinished
6. Stephen Jacobs (Utah) def. Paul Chappell (TCU), 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3*); Singles (3,1,5,6,2*,4)
*—clinched team victory
Players Mentioned
