FORT WORTH—TCU earned its second straight win Friday during a 6-1 home decision over No. 63 San Diego at Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The victory marked the 43rd-ranked Horned Frogs’ third this season over a ranked opponent.
TCU improved to 4-7 on the season, as 10 of the squad’s 11 matches have been against teams currently ranked among the nation’s top-63 teams. San Diego fell to 4-8.
Senior
Kriegler Brink, the nation’s 93rd-ranked player, clinched the team victory with a hard-fought three-set win over Chris Coetzee at No. 3 singles. Brink dropped the first set before regrouping for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 win. He raised his spring singles record to a team-best 8-3 mark with his second straight victory.
Sophomores
Zach Nichols and
Christopher Price cruised to victory to put the Frogs up by a 3-1 margin prior to Brink’s clinching point. Both Frogs recorded 6-4, 6-4 decisions, with Nichols defeating Nicola Bubnic in the No. 4 slot and Price downing Tom Wolff at No. 5 singles. Nichols and Price each posted their second straight wins.
Junior
Adrian Simon picked up his first win of the year while playing at the No. 6 position against Nils Schive, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, to halt to an eight-match losing streak to open the spring. Freshman
Slah Mbarek, current Mountain West Conference Player of the Week who holds the nation’s No. 93 ranking, closed out the afternoon by posting victory in a closely contested three setter at No. 2 singles, 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (8-6).
The Frogs continued their recent roll in doubles play Friday, claiming the point for the seventh straight outing with a three-match sweep of the Toreros.
Brink and Mbarek, ranked No. 26, improved to 6-1 in doubles this spring while closing out the point with an 8-2 victory over Juan Devillier and Nicola Bubnic in the No. 2 slot. Brighiu and Simon, ranked 14th nationally, also made quick work of their USD opponents at No. 1 doubles, Chris Coetzee and Charl Wolmarans, 8-3. Nichols and Price followed with their first win over a ranked tandem this spring, 8-4, over No. 44 Dean Jackson and Nils Schive. The victory moved Nichols and Price to 4-1 in their last five matches together.
“I thought it was a really good effort today,” head coach
Dave Borelli said. “They are a good team and have played close matches against some other good teams. We opened it up by playing great in doubles. We are really playing well in that area right now.
“In singles, we finally won at the bottom, particularly with (Simon). He has lost four or five matches that he has had in hand. It’s always hardest to get that first win. He was in control of the match before (Shive) came back, but he came through in the end. Adi played well at the end of that match, and I’m proud of how he handled it.”
TCU continues its homestand Saturday, when it plays host to UT San Antonio at 2 p.m. The match will be the Frogs’ third of six home contests, all in the month of March.
Results
TCU 6, San Diego 1
March 6, 2009
Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center
Doubles
1. #14 Emanuel Brighiu/Adrian Simon (TCU) def. Chris Coetzee/Charl Wolmarans (USD) 8-3
2. #26 Kriegler Brink/Slah Mbarek (TCU) def. Juan Devillier/Nicola Bubnic (USD) 8-2
3. Christopher Price/Zach Nichols (TCU) def. #44 Dean Jackson/Nils Schive (USD) 8-4
Singles
1. #81 Dean Jackson (USD) def. #79
Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #93
Slah Mbarek (TCU) def. Charl Wolmarans (USD) 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (8-6)
3. #80
Kriegler Brink (TCU) def. Chris Coetzee (USD) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
4.
Zach Nichols (TCU) def. Nicola Bubnic (USD) 6-4, 6-4
5.
Christopher Price (TCU) def. Tom Wolff (USD) 6-4, 6-4
6.
Adrian Simon (TCU) def. Nils Schive (USD) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5
