Aggie Men’s Tennis Opens NCAA Tournament against the Bulls
May 11, 2017 | Men's Tennis
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The 12th-seeded Texas A&M men's tennis team will open their 24th consecutive NCAA Men's Tennis Championship appearance Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. against Buffalo at the George P Mitchell Tennis Center. Prior to the Aggies and Bulls match, No. 24 Oregon (18-6) and No. 34 Memphis (15-8) will face off at 11 a.m.
The two winners will face off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, to determine which team advances to the NCAA Championship in Athens, Georgia, May 18-23.
Fans are reminded the Mitchell Tennis Center adheres to the Texas A&M Athletics 'Clear Bag' policy, for more information about the policy visit 12thMan.com/beclear . Additionally, all students will receive complimentary admission to the matches this weekend, courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics.
The 2017 selection marks the 25th overall appearance for the men's tennis team in the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies hosted the first and second rounds in College Station a year ago for the third consecutive season. The Maroon & White opened the tournament with a 4-0 victory over George Washington before falling to Texas in the second round.
The NCAA Selection Committee named Wake Forest (1), Virginia (2), Oklahoma State (3), Southern Cal (4), UCLA (5), TCU (6), Baylor (7), California (8), North Carolina (9), Texas (10), Oklahoma State (11), Texas A&M (12), Georgia (13), Oklahoma (14), Florida (15) and Stanford (16) the national seeds. In addition to the three national seeds from the SEC, six additional teams were named to the field of 64 (Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and South Carolina).
The Aggies feature a pair of ranked singles players against the Bulls, led by No. 6 Arthur Rinderknech. The Paris, France native has been ranked in the top-25 all spring after turning in an impressive fall campaign. The All-SEC First Teamer leads A&M with a 24-8 record this season, including a team-high 16 wins over ITA ranked players. Jordi Arconada moved to No. 48 in the latest ITA poll, the Buenos Aires, Argentina native has an impressive 20-4 dual record, going 10-0 in SEC regular-season matches including a career-best 18-match winning streak. Arconada was joined on the All-SEC Second Team roster by Freshman Valentin Vacherot, while Vacherot also earned All-Freshman Team accolades alongside Hady Habib.
In doubles action, Rinderknech and Catanzariti have stormed up the doubles rankings the last month, earning a Top-8 seed in the upcoming NCAA Doubles Championship, solidifying their All-American status. The junior duo are currently one of the hottest doubles teams in the country, winning five straight matches and going a perfect 6-0 against ranked pairs including wins over then No. 2 Robert Loeb and Jan Zeilinski of Georgia and No. 9 Trevor Foshey and Niclaus Braun of Mississippi State.
All-session and single match tickets will be on sale to the public at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 888-992-4443, online at www.12thmanfoundation.com or in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kyle Field Box Office located on the north end of the stadium. Tickets can also be purchased at the Mitchell Tennis Center starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 12. Student tickets are available for $4 per match or $6 for the entire session.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M men's tennis in the field. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M men's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieMensTennis.
Match Updates
- Live video and stats for the match will be available at http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-tennis/spec-rel/041617aaa.html, follow @AggieMTEN on Twitter and then check 12thMan.com for post-match results and a recap from the day's action.
The Texas A&M Lineup
- Texas A&M returned eight lettermen from last year's squad that hosted an NCAA Regional and finished the season ranked No. 14 in the final ITA Rankings.
- Included in the group is junior Arthur Rinderknech who began the spring season ranked No. 16 in the singles poll and No. 7 alongside senior Max Lunkin in the doubles poll. Rinderknech earned singles and doubles All-America honors after appearing in the NCAA Doubles Championship match alongside Jackson Withrow last summer and finishing the season ranked No. 20 in the final singles ranking.
- Also returning this season will be Lunkin, AJ Catanzariti, Jordi Arconada and Aleksandre Bakshi. All four featured regularly in the lineup last season and are set to be mainstays in the Maroon & White lineup again this spring. Seniors Frankie Colunga and James Martell look to take advantage of their final season in College Station.
- The final members of head coach Steve Denton's roster are freshman Hady Habib and Valentin Vacherot. Habib, a Houston native, joins a loaded Aggie lineup and his talent was evident during the fall season where Habib collected eight singles victories and six doubles triumphs. Vacherot, the first cousin of Rinderknech, comes to Aggieland after advancing to the finals of the Tunisia F24 Futures in September and the right-hander picked up ATP points at the Tunisia F25, Slovak Republic F3, Tunisia F23 and the France F13.
Notable Streaks and Trends
- The Aggies have won at least 20 matches in each of the last three seasons under head coach Steve Denton and five times in his 10-year tenure. Four times during the last decade, Texas A&M has hit the 25-win mark, winning 25 in 2010, 29 in 2011, 25 in 2014 and 27 a season ago.
- Texas A&M have had a doubles tandem earn All-America honors in each of the past five seasons. Catanzariti and Rinderknech earned a Top-8 seed in the upcoming Doubles Championship to solidify their All-American status for 2017. Last season it was Jackson Withrow and Arthur Rinderknech achieving the feat, while Rinderknech also earned the All-American designation for his singles play.
- The Aggies have made 24-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Elite Eight two seasons ago.
- Texas A&M has been ranked in Top-25 during 13 of the 14 rankings published this spring and 77 of the last 79 polls, dating back to Jan. 22, 2013.
- Jordi Arconada's win-streak reached a team-best 18 matches, before falling in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The junior leads the Aggies with eight clinch victories this spring.
- Hady Habib finished amongst the league leaders in conference wins at 10-1, the freshman has gone 8-2 in the team's last 10 matches to rank fourth on the squad with 14 dual victories.
- The Aggies paced the SEC with eight player/freshman of the week honorees this spring; with No. 13 Georgia (7), No. 19 South Carolina (3) and No. 19 Mississippi State (2) the only other schools to receive more than two honors. Arconada, Catanzariti, Rinderknech and Bakshi have garnered Player of the Week nods, while Hady Habib and Valentin Vacherot have been named Freshman of the Week.
Aggies in the ITA Rankings
- Rinderknech continues to be amongst the highest ranked SEC Singles players, coming in at No. 6 in the May 4 singles poll. The Frenchman owns a 24-8 record this year, with a 15-5 mark in dual matches.
- Jordi Arconada rode an 18-match winning streak to rank No. 48 in the latest ITA poll. The Buenos Aries native, holds a 20-4 record overall including a 18-2 dual match tally.
- Rinderknech lands in the doubles poll alongside AJ Catanzariti. The junior pair ranked No. 9 in the latest poll, earning six ranked wins this spring.
- The Texas A&M duo of Rinderknech and Max Lunkin remain in the ITA doubles rankings at No. 50, the duo claimed six wins in the fall schedule and advanced to the USTA/ITA Texas Regional finals in Ft. Worth.
The Denton Effect
- In the first ten years of Steve Denton tenure at Texas A&M, beginning in August of 2006, the Aggies claimed 208 dual victories, the second-best 10 year stretch in program history, trailing only the 211 wins under Omar Smith from 1964-1973.
- Denton's 227 career triumphs in Aggieland trail Omar Smith's 275 wins and David Kent's 318 victories, while his winning percentage (69.0) trails only Tim Cass on the all-time ledger (196-83, 70.3%). Smith captained the Aggies from 1960-1974, while Kent was at the helm from 1979-1996 and Cass lead the charge from 1997-2006.
- The Denton-led Aggies have claimed a pair of SEC Tournament crowns (2015 & 2016) and a share of the regular season titles in 2015 and 2017.
- Of Texas A&M's 43 All-Americans all-time, 25 have come under the tutelage of Denton, including the Aggies only player to earn All-American status in all four seasons in Aggieland (Austin Krajicek, 2009-11 singles & 2008-2011 doubles).
- In Denton's 10 completed seasons at Texas A&M, the Aggies have finished ranked in the Top-15 of the final ITA Team Rankings on seven occasions having done so only six times in the previous 25 years.
NCAA Notes
- The Aggies are 36-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Round of Sixteen 13 times and the Round of 8 on two occasions.
- Head Coach Steve Denton is 16-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- Texas A&M and Buffalo have never met on the tennis court.
- Texas A&M is 1-0 vs. Oregon, defeating the Ducks 7-0 in 2003.
- Texas A&M men's tennis and Memphis have never faced off.
NCAA First and Second Rounds
(Mitchell Tennis Center, College Station, Texas)
First Round
Friday, May 12
No. 21 Oregon (18-6) vs. No. 33 Memphis (15-8), 11 a.m.
No. 11 Texas A&M (19-6) vs Buffalo (14-5), 2 p.m.
Second Round
Saturday, May 13
Oregon/Memphis winner vs. Texas A&M/Buffalo winner, 2 p.m.
Ticket information:
Tickets to the first and second-round matches can be purchased in advance at 12thManFoundation.com or during business hours at the Athletic Ticket Office located at Kyle Field or by calling the ticket office at 1-888-99-AGGIE or 979-845-2311. Tickets also will be available for purchase on match days at the Mitchell Tennis Center beginning one hour before match time.
$18 All-Session Reserved (Stadium Club)
$10 Single Day Reserved (Stadium Club)
$10 All-Session General Admission
$7 Single Day General Admission
$6 All-Session Youth General Admission
$4 Single Day Youth
Free for students & children under age two
The two winners will face off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, to determine which team advances to the NCAA Championship in Athens, Georgia, May 18-23.
Fans are reminded the Mitchell Tennis Center adheres to the Texas A&M Athletics 'Clear Bag' policy, for more information about the policy visit 12thMan.com/beclear . Additionally, all students will receive complimentary admission to the matches this weekend, courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics.
The 2017 selection marks the 25th overall appearance for the men's tennis team in the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies hosted the first and second rounds in College Station a year ago for the third consecutive season. The Maroon & White opened the tournament with a 4-0 victory over George Washington before falling to Texas in the second round.
The NCAA Selection Committee named Wake Forest (1), Virginia (2), Oklahoma State (3), Southern Cal (4), UCLA (5), TCU (6), Baylor (7), California (8), North Carolina (9), Texas (10), Oklahoma State (11), Texas A&M (12), Georgia (13), Oklahoma (14), Florida (15) and Stanford (16) the national seeds. In addition to the three national seeds from the SEC, six additional teams were named to the field of 64 (Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and South Carolina).
The Aggies feature a pair of ranked singles players against the Bulls, led by No. 6 Arthur Rinderknech. The Paris, France native has been ranked in the top-25 all spring after turning in an impressive fall campaign. The All-SEC First Teamer leads A&M with a 24-8 record this season, including a team-high 16 wins over ITA ranked players. Jordi Arconada moved to No. 48 in the latest ITA poll, the Buenos Aires, Argentina native has an impressive 20-4 dual record, going 10-0 in SEC regular-season matches including a career-best 18-match winning streak. Arconada was joined on the All-SEC Second Team roster by Freshman Valentin Vacherot, while Vacherot also earned All-Freshman Team accolades alongside Hady Habib.
In doubles action, Rinderknech and Catanzariti have stormed up the doubles rankings the last month, earning a Top-8 seed in the upcoming NCAA Doubles Championship, solidifying their All-American status. The junior duo are currently one of the hottest doubles teams in the country, winning five straight matches and going a perfect 6-0 against ranked pairs including wins over then No. 2 Robert Loeb and Jan Zeilinski of Georgia and No. 9 Trevor Foshey and Niclaus Braun of Mississippi State.
All-session and single match tickets will be on sale to the public at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 888-992-4443, online at www.12thmanfoundation.com or in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kyle Field Box Office located on the north end of the stadium. Tickets can also be purchased at the Mitchell Tennis Center starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 12. Student tickets are available for $4 per match or $6 for the entire session.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M men's tennis in the field. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M men's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN or on Facebook at Facebook.com/AggieMensTennis.
Match Updates
- Live video and stats for the match will be available at http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-tennis/spec-rel/041617aaa.html, follow @AggieMTEN on Twitter and then check 12thMan.com for post-match results and a recap from the day's action.
The Texas A&M Lineup
- Texas A&M returned eight lettermen from last year's squad that hosted an NCAA Regional and finished the season ranked No. 14 in the final ITA Rankings.
- Included in the group is junior Arthur Rinderknech who began the spring season ranked No. 16 in the singles poll and No. 7 alongside senior Max Lunkin in the doubles poll. Rinderknech earned singles and doubles All-America honors after appearing in the NCAA Doubles Championship match alongside Jackson Withrow last summer and finishing the season ranked No. 20 in the final singles ranking.
- Also returning this season will be Lunkin, AJ Catanzariti, Jordi Arconada and Aleksandre Bakshi. All four featured regularly in the lineup last season and are set to be mainstays in the Maroon & White lineup again this spring. Seniors Frankie Colunga and James Martell look to take advantage of their final season in College Station.
- The final members of head coach Steve Denton's roster are freshman Hady Habib and Valentin Vacherot. Habib, a Houston native, joins a loaded Aggie lineup and his talent was evident during the fall season where Habib collected eight singles victories and six doubles triumphs. Vacherot, the first cousin of Rinderknech, comes to Aggieland after advancing to the finals of the Tunisia F24 Futures in September and the right-hander picked up ATP points at the Tunisia F25, Slovak Republic F3, Tunisia F23 and the France F13.
Notable Streaks and Trends
- The Aggies have won at least 20 matches in each of the last three seasons under head coach Steve Denton and five times in his 10-year tenure. Four times during the last decade, Texas A&M has hit the 25-win mark, winning 25 in 2010, 29 in 2011, 25 in 2014 and 27 a season ago.
- Texas A&M have had a doubles tandem earn All-America honors in each of the past five seasons. Catanzariti and Rinderknech earned a Top-8 seed in the upcoming Doubles Championship to solidify their All-American status for 2017. Last season it was Jackson Withrow and Arthur Rinderknech achieving the feat, while Rinderknech also earned the All-American designation for his singles play.
- The Aggies have made 24-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Elite Eight two seasons ago.
- Texas A&M has been ranked in Top-25 during 13 of the 14 rankings published this spring and 77 of the last 79 polls, dating back to Jan. 22, 2013.
- Jordi Arconada's win-streak reached a team-best 18 matches, before falling in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The junior leads the Aggies with eight clinch victories this spring.
- Hady Habib finished amongst the league leaders in conference wins at 10-1, the freshman has gone 8-2 in the team's last 10 matches to rank fourth on the squad with 14 dual victories.
- The Aggies paced the SEC with eight player/freshman of the week honorees this spring; with No. 13 Georgia (7), No. 19 South Carolina (3) and No. 19 Mississippi State (2) the only other schools to receive more than two honors. Arconada, Catanzariti, Rinderknech and Bakshi have garnered Player of the Week nods, while Hady Habib and Valentin Vacherot have been named Freshman of the Week.
Aggies in the ITA Rankings
- Rinderknech continues to be amongst the highest ranked SEC Singles players, coming in at No. 6 in the May 4 singles poll. The Frenchman owns a 24-8 record this year, with a 15-5 mark in dual matches.
- Jordi Arconada rode an 18-match winning streak to rank No. 48 in the latest ITA poll. The Buenos Aries native, holds a 20-4 record overall including a 18-2 dual match tally.
- Rinderknech lands in the doubles poll alongside AJ Catanzariti. The junior pair ranked No. 9 in the latest poll, earning six ranked wins this spring.
- The Texas A&M duo of Rinderknech and Max Lunkin remain in the ITA doubles rankings at No. 50, the duo claimed six wins in the fall schedule and advanced to the USTA/ITA Texas Regional finals in Ft. Worth.
The Denton Effect
- In the first ten years of Steve Denton tenure at Texas A&M, beginning in August of 2006, the Aggies claimed 208 dual victories, the second-best 10 year stretch in program history, trailing only the 211 wins under Omar Smith from 1964-1973.
- Denton's 227 career triumphs in Aggieland trail Omar Smith's 275 wins and David Kent's 318 victories, while his winning percentage (69.0) trails only Tim Cass on the all-time ledger (196-83, 70.3%). Smith captained the Aggies from 1960-1974, while Kent was at the helm from 1979-1996 and Cass lead the charge from 1997-2006.
- The Denton-led Aggies have claimed a pair of SEC Tournament crowns (2015 & 2016) and a share of the regular season titles in 2015 and 2017.
- Of Texas A&M's 43 All-Americans all-time, 25 have come under the tutelage of Denton, including the Aggies only player to earn All-American status in all four seasons in Aggieland (Austin Krajicek, 2009-11 singles & 2008-2011 doubles).
- In Denton's 10 completed seasons at Texas A&M, the Aggies have finished ranked in the Top-15 of the final ITA Team Rankings on seven occasions having done so only six times in the previous 25 years.
NCAA Notes
- The Aggies are 36-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Round of Sixteen 13 times and the Round of 8 on two occasions.
- Head Coach Steve Denton is 16-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- Texas A&M and Buffalo have never met on the tennis court.
- Texas A&M is 1-0 vs. Oregon, defeating the Ducks 7-0 in 2003.
- Texas A&M men's tennis and Memphis have never faced off.
NCAA First and Second Rounds
(Mitchell Tennis Center, College Station, Texas)
First Round
Friday, May 12
No. 21 Oregon (18-6) vs. No. 33 Memphis (15-8), 11 a.m.
No. 11 Texas A&M (19-6) vs Buffalo (14-5), 2 p.m.
Second Round
Saturday, May 13
Oregon/Memphis winner vs. Texas A&M/Buffalo winner, 2 p.m.
Ticket information:
Tickets to the first and second-round matches can be purchased in advance at 12thManFoundation.com or during business hours at the Athletic Ticket Office located at Kyle Field or by calling the ticket office at 1-888-99-AGGIE or 979-845-2311. Tickets also will be available for purchase on match days at the Mitchell Tennis Center beginning one hour before match time.
$18 All-Session Reserved (Stadium Club)
$10 Single Day Reserved (Stadium Club)
$10 All-Session General Admission
$7 Single Day General Admission
$6 All-Session Youth General Admission
$4 Single Day Youth
Free for students & children under age two
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Media Availability: Steve Denton
Monday, October 13
Baylor Postgame: Steve Denton, Theo Papamalamis, Alan Magadan
Sunday, May 04
Rice Postgame: Togan Tokac
Saturday, May 03
NCAA Tournament Preview: Steve Denton, Raphael Perot
Tuesday, April 30
