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Men’s
tennis picks up win despite flat effort vs. Tulsa As men’s tennis coach Joey Rive watched the team drub Tulsa 5-2 Saturday, he noticed something was missing. In winning the doubles point and four of six singles matches, the Frogs gave a lackluster performance, Rive said. “Maybe that’s the sign of a good team,” Rive said following the match. “It’s a long season, and you’re bound to have some tired matches along the road. We’re fortunate to have a number of great players at each position.” While two of their top four players suffered losses, the Frogs relied on their depth, winning the other four singles. Seniors Scott Eddins and Trace Fielding, junior Daniel Wajnberg and sophomore Jimmy Haney all won in straight sets. Senior Esteban Carril, ranked No. 4 in singles, saw his 12-match win streak end at the hands of No. 68 Pawel Sebastyanski, 7-5, 7-5. His last loss came at the National Indoors Feb. 15 against Alex Hartman of Mississippi. During his match, Carril fell victim to a bevy of unforced errors. Numerous attempted drop shots failed to clear the net. Sophomore Toni Gordon, ranked No. 72, was defeated by Alejandro Tejerina in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5. Gordon’s record fell to 12-5 with the loss. “Esteban and Toni have been there for us all year, so they’re entitled to a flat match,” Rive said. “Our guys have the ability to step it up when their teammates have an off-day. That’s a great skill to have.” Eddins, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Shri Sudhaker, said TCU must maintain its intensity. “When we play these lower-ranked teams, we have to go out and play like it’s for the national championship,” Eddins said. “We should beat these teams.” Eddins has won his last six singles matches at the number three singles spot. After winning eight consecutive matches and 12 out of their last 13, the Frogs appear to be rolling toward the NCAA Championships. “We just need to get there,” Rive said. “We still have a tough match against (Southern Methodist) and the (Western Athletic Conference) Tournament. Then it’s just a matter of getting there and bringing it home.” But Eddins said the Frogs are focused. “We need to do the same things that we’ve been doing and come out focused,” Eddins said. TCU will put its perfect 10-0 home record on the line Wednesday as it faces No. 9 SMU at 2:30 p.m. at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
Matt Stiver
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