|
Netters
focus on game positives The TCU men’s tennis team has learned to take positives from every match, whether they win or lose. At this past weekend’s Pepperdine Shootout, the Frogs pulled off their biggest upset of the year only to lose the next day. However, as they have all year, the Frogs came out of the weekend focused on their positives. “Playing the caliber of opponents that we did only helps us get stronger as a team,” said head coach Joey Rive said. “The guys came out excited and ready to play. We had a good showing here.” On Saturday, the Frogs defeated previously undefeated and No. 26-ranked Washington, 4-3, in a match that Rive described as their “biggest win of the season.” “It’s a big win for us,” Rive said. “At this point in the season, we needed a big victory over a strong team. A win like this gives us momentum.” Ironically, the Frogs won the match after an old problem crept up on them. The No. 51-ranked doubles team of Toni Gordon and Fabrizio Sestini defeated the Huskies’ team of Christoph Palmanshofer and Alex Vlaski, 8-3. However, it was the only doubles match the Frogs won on the day, as the Huskies claimed the doubles point. It was the seventh time the Frogs had dropped the doubles point to begin the match. “We’ve been trying out new combinations in doubles play, so our consistency isn’t quite what it should be,” Rive said. “There’s still some things to work out to get our doubles to where it should be.” After the Huskies claimed victory at one and two singles, the Frogs pulled off four victories to win the match. Freshman Jacob Martin defeated Ari Strasberg, 6-2, 7-5, while senior Daniel Wajnberg defeated Peter Scharler, 6-4, 6-3. Freshman Daniel Scholten won his match against Dillon Ruby, 6-4, 6-1. The match was decided at three singles as sophomore Alex Menichini defeated Palmanshofer, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1. Palmanshofer won the first set and was up 5-1 in the second before Menichini came back for the win. The win stretched Menichini’s win streak to seven matches, the second longest for the Frogs this year. The victory allowed the Frogs to advance to the finals of the shootout against No. 11-ranked Pepperdine. However, they could not pull off a second upset in as many days, falling to the Waves, 4-0. The match was suspended after the Waves had secured the victory. Although the matches were suspended, Rive saw bright spots in the play of his team. The Frogs now return home to take on No. 10-ranked Texas A&M 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. “We’re excited to get A&M at home,” Rive said. “We play better at home, and it’s good that we get a Top-10 team in our backyard. The guys play better against higher-ranked opponents, because they step up against tougher competition.” Quinten
Boyd |
|
|
TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
||