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No.
2 men’s tennis team conquers Waves
Preparation was key in the men’s tennis team’s victory over No. 7-ranked Pepperdine Sunday. After losing to Pepperdine last season, the No. 2-ranked Horned Frogs defeated Pepperdine 6-1, improving their record to 14-2 on the season. The win was TCU’s third against a top 10 team this season.
TCU senior Esteban Carril, the No. 8-ranked singles player, said his loss in the fall to No. 11-ranked junior Al Garland of Pepperdine should not have happened. “In the fall, I struggled with injuries, and I wasn’t really prepared to play,” Carril said. “(The loss) was just bad luck.” This time, Carril defeated Garland at the No. 1 singles spot in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-4. Pepperdine head coach Peter Smith said Carril was too talented to lose to Garland again. “Everybody knows he is the best player in college tennis when he feels like playing,” Smith said. “We beat them last year, and Esteban lost. I think those things played into (their victory today).” Carril said he played well and that he did what he needed to do to win the match. “I handled the wind pretty well, and I really attacked the ball,” Carril said. “I played a good match.” Carril said the rest of the team had to focus to beat a team ranked so closely to TCU. “We knew it was going to be tough,” Carril said. “But I think the team was really prepared to play this match. We wanted to step up and play aggressive, and we did.” Head coach Joey Rive said the match against Pepperdine involved being physically and mentally ready to play well. “The (Frogs) are doing very well,” Rive said. “I think as long as (the team) is prepared, we’re going to be very competitive.” Rive said the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center is a facility that assists in the Horned Frogs’ success. “We want people to be intimidated when they come to play (at TCU),” Rive said. “It’s a good environment for us to play in, and every time we play a home match we should be competing at our best.” TCU did prove their ability to dominate in Fort Worth, allowing the Waves only one point that came at the No. 6 singles spot. Pepperdine junior Steve Racioppi defeated senior Petr Koula 6-3, 6-3. In addition, the No. 10-ranked pairing of Pepperdine juniors Stefan Suter and Sebastian Graeff picked up a win at No. 1 doubles against the No. 17 partnership of senior Trace Fielding and sophomore Jimmy Haney. Smith said the Frogs were prepared to play. “I wanted to approach this match as the finals of the NCAAs,” Smith said. “The final score was convincing, but I thought if we won the doubles point we would have a chance. But give TCU credit, they were ready to play.” Among the nationally-ranked singles players in Sunday’s match, all three of Pepperdine’s top 100 players were defeated, while Carril and No. 59 Antonio Gordon won their matches. Suter, ranked No. 34 nationally, fell to unranked Fielding, while No. 97 Graeff lost in straight sets to unranked senior Scott Eddins. Rive said that while the win was important, it is also important for the team to keep tennis in perspective. “The team has to remember that the game is fun,” Rive said. “We have to be happy to win and happy to play good tennis.” John
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