TCU
Utah State
TCU Drops Heartbreaker to Utah State
1/29/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
FORT WORTH, Texas - A battle that came down to the final court did not end in the No. 12 TCU men's tennis team's favor as they dropped a 4-3 decision to Utah State on Sunday afternoon in the championship match of the 2017 ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center in Fort Worth.
The Horned Frogs (2-2) were dominant on the doubles side as they cruised to wins on courts one and two for the third straight match over the Aggies (4-3) to go up 1-0 in the match. TCU pulled out wins in the first set on three courts, but playing shorthanded and injuries prevented the Frogs from being able to grab that fourth and final point as Utah State grabbed four wins in singles to take the match.
Alex Rybakov moved to 2-0 on the season at the top position in singles as he easily put away Kai Wehnelt, 6-0, 6-1. No. 101 Jerry Lopez also got his second dual match win of the season by downing Jamie Barajas at the No. 3 spot, 6-1, 6-3. The doubles duos of Rybakov and Guillermo Nuñez, along with Lopez and Reese Stalder are on a three-match winning streaks in doubles as both pairs are 3-1 this season.
Quotes from the Match
Head Coach David Roditi
"I am obviously disappointed to have lost, but I am also happy for young head coach James Wilson, his players and staff. We had some great performances at the top and we just couldn't get that fourth point today. We have players playing for us that are giving it their all and even playing through injuries and we just ran out of gas. We have over a week to get better tennis wise and body wise. We know it's a long season and we will continue to improve. I am very thankful for the fan support and the staff support."
Match Results
Utah State vs TCU
Jan 29, 2017 at Fort Worth, Texas
(Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center)
Utah State 4, #12 TCU 3
Singles competition
1. Alex Rybakov (TCU) def. Kai Wehnelt (USU) 6-0, 6-1
2. Jack Swindells (USU) def. #55 Guillermo Nuñez (TCU) 7-5, retired
3. #101 Jerry Lopez (TCU) def. Jaime Barajas (USU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Sergiu Bucur (USU) def. Reese Stalder (TCU) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5
5. Samuel Serrano (USU) def. Trey Daniel (TCU) 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-0
6. Jonas Maier (USU) def. Gianni Mancini (TCU) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Reese Stalder/Jerry Lopez (TCU) def. Kai Wehnelt/Samuel Serrano (USU) 6-0
2. Alex Rybakov/Guillermo Nuñez (TCU) def. Jonas Maier/Jack Swindells (USU) 6-3
3. Hudson Blake/Gianni Mancini (TCU) vs. Sergiu Bucur/Jaime Barajas (USU) 4-5, unfinished
Match Notes:
Utah State 4-3
TCU 2-2; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,2,1,3,4,5)
2017 ITA Kick-Off Weekend
Up Next
TCU will have the next nine days off before welcoming Midwestern State for a match on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m., on the Bernard J. 'Tut' Bartzen Varsity Courts.
Players Mentioned
