The Texas Tech men’s tennis team makes its much-anticipated return home after a stretch of eight consecutive matches and over a month on the road when No. 28 Memphis visits the McLeod Tennis Center.
First serve for Friday’s match has been pushed back to 8 p.m. CT from the McLeod Tennis Center. Admission is free to all home matches with free pizza while supplies last.
Fans are encouraged to check Texas Tech’s social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TechMensTennis and @TexasTechTennis on Twitter for updates on match time and match location.
The Red Raiders (7-10) were in a pair of tightly-contested 4-3 matches last week in California. Texas Tech nearly earned a signature win over No. 7 Southern Cal but were able to bounce back versus No. 35 Indiana.
Memphis (12-3) marks the sixth consecutive ITA Top 50 opponent that the Red Raiders will face dating back to February 25. Texas Tech is scheduled to take on five additional ITA Top 20 programs when Big 12 action begins on April 7.
“We’re trending in the right direction,” Texas Tech head coach Brett Masi said. “The guys are playing tennis the way they’re supposed to be playing. They have a better feel for their games, and they’re feeling more comfortable on the court knowing what they need to do against the level of competition that we’re facing. That’s the bigger thing that the guys are more comfortable with themselves and how they’re approaching their matches. When they have to make adjustments in-match, they’re making the right adjustments. Those are the things we’re looking for. We want the guys playing with confidence and belief in themselves.”
Bjorn Thomson has jumped into this week’s ITA singles rankings at No. 60 on the strength of 12 straight victories to start the dual match campaign. He has won his last two decisions and dropped a combined six games on the No. 2 singles line highlighted by a dominant 6-2, 6-2 triumph over then No. 45 Logan Smith of USC. Overall, Thomson has won 19 of his 24 sets by allowing three games or less.
Connor Curry and Alex Sendegeya check in with 10-5 and 9-7 singles records, respectively. They also have been solid in doubles action. Curry holds a No. 24 ITA ranking with Thomson and ripped off wins in eight of their 10 appearances since the Vanderbilt match on Feb. 5. Sendegeya has notched a 4-3 ledger with Jackson Cobb.
Jolan Cailleau has emerged with a 6-7 record at the top of the lineup and is playing his best tennis of the spring after back-to-back wins last week. He collected a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback victory over then No. 16 Brandon Holt of USC and shot up 21 spots to No. 42 in the ITA rankings.
“Bjorn has great consistency, and I told the team that last week,” Masi said. “He comes out and works extremely hard each day. He’ll do extra hitting whether we win or we lose. The bottom line with Bjorn is his goal is to get better every day. He knows when he goes out there what to expect in his game. I’m happy for him that he’s starting to see a little bit of success. It won’t get to his head because he wants to continue to improve. Even more, it’s about the team with Bjorn. Individual success is great, but he’ll be frustrated if the result doesn’t turn into a team win.”
The Tigers are fueled by Ryan Peniston and Andrew Watson, a pair of British players. The duo has posted an 18-4 record at the top two singles spots of the lineup. Memphis also is solid on courts two and three in doubles. Peniston has teamed with Felix Rouch to win 10 of their 12 decisions followed by Jan Pallares and Matt Story with an 8-2 mark.
“Memphis has consistency throughout the lineup in doubles and singles,” Masi said. “The top of their lineup is strong, and they have depth. They played Oklahoma State to a 4-3 match and beat a good Cornell team who is in the Top 20 a few weeks back. Memphis is a feisty team, they’re well-coached and they’re going to battle you in every spot.”
Visit www.TexasTech.com for the latest news and information on the men’s tennis program. Fans also can follow the program and live match updates on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TechMensTennis and @TexasTechTennis on Twitter.
COURTESY OF TEXAS TECH ATHLETICS