TCU
ITA Kickoff Weekend vs. #10 Texas A&M
TCU Topples No. 10 Texas A&M, 4-2
1/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
FORT WORTH, Texas - The No. 37 TCU men's tennis team toppled No. 10 Texas A&M by stealing a 4-2 victory over the Aggies in the first round of the 2015 ITA National Kick-Off Weekend on Saturday afternoon in College Station, Texas at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
The Horned Frogs (2-0) rebounded from losing the doubles point against the Aggies (0-1) to win four singles matches to secure the first top 10 victory for the team under the helm of head coach David Roditi and the team's first win over Texas A&M since 2006.
"This is a huge win for our guys and I am just really happy for them," Roditi said. "The team has worked very hard and they prepared very well. I feel that they deserved to have that kind of success. To beat a team like Texas A&M at their place is a huge win not just for this team, but for this program as well.
"I felt that our team was as prepared as they have ever been. Our (assistant) coaches, Devin Bowen and Fernando Sanchez, have done an incredible job getting these guys mentally ready and emotionally ready to be able to beat a top 10 team. One of the things that makes this win every greater is the fact that we lost the doubles point and our guys came back in singles and took care of business."
TCU started the match trailing the Aggies after Texas A&M was able to take the doubles point after wins on courts one and two. At No. 1 doubles, No. 20 Nick Chappell and Will Stein were upended by No. 25 Harrison Adams and Shane Vinsant, 6-3, while No. 18 Jeremy Efferding and Jordan Szabo were able to snag a 6-3 win over No. 15 Cameron Norrie and Trevor Johnson.
The Frogs did not stay down for long, as No. 24 Norrie nabbed the first point for TCU with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles over No. 29 Adams. Norrie is now 5-2 over ranked opponents this season.
"It makes a huge difference when you have a player like Cameron Norrie be one of the first ones off the court," Roditi said. "It certainly sends a message down the lineup and it is a huge boost of confidence and energy for the whole squad."
Fellow freshman and No. 87 Guillermo Nuñez put TCU in the lead, 2-1, by taking his own match at No. 6 singles in straight sets. Nuñez defeated Szabo 6-4, 6-2 and is now 2-0 on the season in dual matches.
The Aggies evened out the match at 2-2 with a win at No. 3 singles, but TCU took the lead right back with Facundo Lugones shutting down AJ Catanzariti, 6-4, 7-5 on court five. TCU sealed the victory at No. 4 singles, with Arnau Dachs bouncing back from first set loss to Arthur Rinderknech, 7-5, to take the next two sets, 6-1, 6-1, to claim the win in three sets and the match for TCU.
"I thought every guy played well, even the guys that didn't win. I am proud of all of them and that they all contributed in some way to the win," Rodit said. "I am just happy for them and proud of them. Now we have to get ready for a battle against LSU tomorrow."
TCU will faceoff with No. 45 LSU on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m., with the winner of the match advancing to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Chicago, Ill., on Feb. 12-15.
Tennis Match Results
TCU vs Texas A&M
Jan 24, 2015 at College Station, TX
(Mitchell Tennis Center)
#37 TCU 4, #10 Texas A&M 2
Singles competition
1. #24 Cameron Norrie (TCU) def. #29 Harrison Adams (TAMU) 6-4, 6-1
2. #45 Shane Vinsant (TAMU) vs. Nick Chappell (TCU) 6-3, 3-6, 5-3, unfinished
3. #96 Jeremy Efferding (TAMU) def. #91 Will Stein (TCU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Arnau Dachs (TCU) def. Arthur Rinderknech (TAMU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
5. Facundo Lugones (TCU) def. AJ Catanzariti (TAMU) 6-4, 7-5
6. #87 Guillermo Nuñez (TCU) def. Jordan Szabo (TAMU) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #25 Harrison Adams/Shane Vinsant (TAMU) def. #20 Nick Chappell/Will Stein (TCU) 6-3
2. #18 Jeremy Efferding/Jordan Szabo (TAMU) def. #15 Cameron Norrie/Trevor Johnson (TCU) 6-3
3. AJ Catanzariti/Arthur Rinderknech (TAMU) vs. Arnau Dachs/Guillermo Nuñez (TCU) 4-5, unfinished
Match Notes:
TCU 2-0; National ranking #37
Texas A&M 0-1; National ranking #10
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,6,3,5,4)
ITA Kick-Off Week, First Round
Players Mentioned
