Texas A&M
SMU
Aggies Reach NCAA Second Round With 4-1 Victory Over SMU
May 10, 2008 | Men's Tennis
May 10, 2008
The Texas A&M men?™s tennis team claimed their 11th-straight NCAA First Round victory with a 4-1 result over regional rival SMU Saturday afternoon at the Baylor Tennis Center.
The Aggies (13-11) bared the heat and humidity to advance to the second round for the 14th time in school history. It took nearly three hours to subdue the Mustangs (20-9), even despite a strong effort in doubles.
A&M won at least the first four games in all three doubles matches. Senior Matt Bain (Georgetown, Texas) and sophomore Chris Chirico (Philadelphia, Pa.) handily defeated SMU?™s Alex Skrypko and Adolfo Solares, 8-2, at the No. 3 line, while the No. 20-ranked duo of junior Conor Pollock (San Antonio, Texas) and freshman Austin Krajicek (Brandon, Fla.) beat David Kuczer and Robin Fahgen, 8-3, at No. 1 to close out the doubles point for the Aggies.
?We got off to a really good start in the doubles,? Texas A&M head coach Steve Denton said. ?We were really energetic and even though we had a little lull in a couple of the matches, we were able to win the doubles point, gain the momentum and made SMU play uphill the whole day. When it?™s hot and humid out there, it?™s hard to come back. It was really important for us to get a lead and stay in the lead. We were able to do that today.
?It?™s a four-point race and we were going to have to get it done be it in the singles or doubles. It really spring boarded us into the singles.?
Matt Bain, who missed morning commencement ceremonies due to the match, showed veteran poise by swiftly taking care of business with a 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 5 singles. It took the senior only 50 minutes to finish off SMU?™s Adolfo Solares and push the A&M lead to 2-0. With the win, Bain turned in his third-straight 20-win season.
?Matt went out there with a sense of urgency,? Denton said. ?He showed some senior leadership and was able to play at the top of his level today.?
Seventeen-year-old Austin Krajicek, playing in his first NCAA match, dominated at the No. 2 line after playing the majority the of season at No. 3 and finding success with a team-leading .727 winning percentage. He improved to 16-6 on the season with a 6-3, 6-0 straight-set victory over SMU?™s Alex Skrypko.
With three remaining singles matches hanging in the balance, No. 25-ranked Conor Pollock showed why he is one of the nation?™s top players as he climbed back from a 5-3 deficit in the first set to recapture the lead at the No. 1 line. He later broke SMU?™s David Kuczer serve to finish out the set 7-5.
With teammates Wil Spencer and Chris Chirico ahead in their third set at the No. 3 and No. 4 lines, Pollock was able to seal the victory with a 6-2 second set to stop play at 4-1. SMU?™s Chris Hooshyar was the only Mustang to score with a 6-0, 7-6 (6) result over A&M?™s Mike Beatty at No. 6.
?Give Conor credit for fighting back there,? Denton said. ?(David) Kuczer really played well there in the first set. Conor later stepped in and closed it. From then on, he gained a lot of confidence to come back.?
The Aggies won the doubles point for the ninth time this season and have done so in five of their last seven matches including regular-season losses to Texas on April 19 and Baylor on April 2. A&M improved to 23-15 all-time in postseason play, while also winning the last 10 of 11 in the all-time series versus SMU.
?Today, we played the most complete match from top-to-bottom,? Denton said. ?All of our guys played solid. We really haven?™t had that this year with everyone clicking at the same time. I?™m really proud of effort today.?
The Aggies will take on Big 12 Conference rival and host Baylor (23-8) tomorrow at 2 p.m. for the second-straight year in NCAA play. Last season, third-seeded BU defeated A&M, 4-0, in the second round. The 10th-ranked Bears advanced to the second round by blanking Oral Roberts, 4-0, in the morning session. It will mark the second meeting between the two league schools this season as BU defeated A&M, 6-1, in College Station on April 2.
?They (Baylor) are a great team,? Denton said. ?Obviously, they played really well when they came to our place and beat us in the regular season and then won the Big 12 Tournament. We told the guys, ?'the road to Tulsa comes through Waco.?™ Tomorrow is as good a time as any to break through and beat them. We know it?™s going to be a tough match and there will be a pretty hostile crowd against us. But, our guys are playing well right now. That?™s all you want. To give yourself a chance with everyone doing their best and we will see if that is good enough tomorrow.?
(25) TEXAS A&M 4, (40) SMU 1
2008 NCAA First Round
May 10, 2008
Baylor Tennis Center
at Waco, Texas
SINGLES
No. 1 - (25) Conor Pollock (Texas A&M) def. David Kuczer (SMU), 7-5, 6-2.
No. 2 - Austin Krajicek (Texas A&M) def. Alex Skrypko (SMU), 6-3, 6-0.
No. 3 - Wil Spencer (Texas A&M) vs. (112) Robin Fahgen (SMU), DNF.
No. 4 - Chris Chirico (Texas A&M) vs. Oivind Alver (SMU), DNF.
No. 5 - Matt Bain (Texas A&M) def. Adolfo Solares (SMU), 6-2, 6-0.
No. 6 - Chris Hooshyar (SMU) def. Mike Beatty (Texas A&M), 6-0, 7-6 (6).
DOUBLES
No. 1 - (20) Krajicek-Pollock (Texas A&M) def. Kuczer-Fahgen (SMU), 8-3.
No. 2 - Beatty-Spencer (Texas A&M) vs. Alver-Hooshyar (SMU), DNF.
No. 3 - Bain-Chirico (Texas A&M) def. Skrypko-Solares (SMU), 8-2.
ORDER OF FINISH
Doubles: 3, 1
Singles: 5, 2, 6, 1*
