Saturday, 04/04/2009

SALT LAKE CITY—The 50th-ranked TCU men’s tennis team dropped its first match of the Mountain West Conference season Saturday during a 5-2 loss to No. 54 Utah at the Utes’ Eccles Tennis Center. The setback was the Frogs first to an MWC opponent in seven matches dating back to last season.

The Frogs dropped to 8-10 overall this season and 2-1 in MWC play. Utah moved to 15-6 overall and 3-0 in league action.

The Utes claimed the win by winning the doubles point and four of six singles matches.

Utah jumped out in front of the Frogs early by taking two of three doubles matches. Junior Adrian Simon and sophomore Emanuel Brighiu, ranked 20th nationally, posted an 8-5 victory at the No. 2 position for TCU over Timmy Allin and John Taylor to even things up after No. 31 senior Kriegler Brink and freshman Slah Mbarek fell at No. 1 doubles, 8-4, to Phillip Eilers and Wes Hancock. Sophomores Zach Nichols and Christopher Price dropped the deciding doubles match at the No. 3 slot, 9-7, to Benito Suriano and Stephen Jacobs.

Brighiu and Price each gave TCU victories in singles. Brigiu, ranked 110th nationally, survived a tough second set against Benito Suriano at No. 3 singles to post a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 victory, while Price downed Jason Smits in straight sets at the No. 5 position, 6-4, 6-3.

Three of the Frogs losses in singles play came in three sets. Mbarek, ranked 62nd nationally and playing at the top position, suffered a 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 defeat at the hands of Wes Hancock, while Nichols (3-6, 6-3, 6-3) and sophomore Casey Powers (7-6(1), 3-6, 6-3) also fell in close matches at the Nos. 4 and 6 positions to John Taylor and Timmy Allen, respectively.

Brink, ranked 76th, saw his seven-match winning streak end to Phillip Eilers at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-1. The Frog senior had won 14 straight matches overall between singles and doubles before dropping both of his matches Saturday.

TCU returns to the court next weekend, when it travels to San Diego, Calif., to wrap up the MWC regular-season schedule with three matches. The Frogs face New Mexico Thursday, San Diego State Friday and Air Force Saturday.
 

Results
No. 54 Utah 5, No. 50 TCU 2
April 4, 2009
Salt Lake City, Utah (Eccles Tennis Center)

Singles
1. Wes Hancock (UT) def. #62 Slah Mbarek (TCU) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4
2. Phillip Eilers (UT) def. #76 Kriegler Brink (TCU) 6-2, 6-1
3. #110 Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) def. Benito Suriano (UT) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
4. John Taylor (UT) def. Zach Nichols (TCU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
5. Christopher Price (TCU) def. Jason Smits (UT) 6-4, 6-3
6. Timmy Allin (UT) def. Casey Powers (TCU) 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-3

Doubles
1. Phillip Eilers/Wes Hancock (UT) def. #31 Kriegler Brink/Slah Mbarek (TCU) 8-4
2. #20 Emanuel Brighiu/Adrian Simon (TCU) def. Timmy Allin/John Taylor (UT) 8-5
3. Benito Suriano/Stephen Jacobs (UT) def. Zach Nichols/Christopher Price (TCU) 9-7

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,5,3,4,1,6)