The Memphis Tigers men’s tennis team (9-6) started their spring break schedule with the beginning of the American Conference play, leading with a win against Temple in Memphis and ending it with a two-game skid on the road against Big 12 opponents Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
The Memphis Tigers men’s tennis team (9-6) started their spring break schedule with the beginning of the American Conference play, leading with a win against Temple in Memphis and ending it with a two-game skid on the road against Big 12 opponents Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Struggles on the road and against ranked opponentsÂ
Memphis struggled to get the job done on the road, having lost all five games away from home so far. Their lone win away from The Racquet Club of Memphis came against Old Dominion on Jan. 25 at a neutral site in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The Tigers’ record fell to 2-6 against top-50 ranked opponents this season, losing six straight games against them. Last year, Memphis were 6-4 against ranked teams last year and won the last six games of the season.Â
Temple recap
After a lengthy break from a loss at Harvard, The Tigers started conference play against the Temple Owls at home. Cold temperatures during the day forced the teams to relocate their matches indoors. The Tigers came in ranked No. 50 in the nation and started strong in doubles play, with two doubles partners, Matt Story/Jeremy Taylor and Oscar Cutting/David Stevenson, earning 6-1 and 6-2 wins respectively to earn the opening point in doubles play. It was Memphis’s 10th doubles point of the season.
Cutting played strongly in singles action, winning 6-0, 6-1 on Court 5, and was the first off the court. Chris Patzanovsky came in ranked #123 in the nation and earned a 6-1, 6-2 win at the No. 1 position. Patrick Sydow earned the game clinch with a 6-4, 6-3 win, ending the day with a 5-2 Tiger win.
“It’s amazing,†Sydow said. “It feels good, especially since I’ve played how I wanted to play, and I’m happy I got the win for the team.â€
Oklahoma & Oklahoma State recapÂ
Memphis traveled to Norman, Okla. to play against the No. 18 Sooners, who won a 4-0 victory against the Tigers. Turner Voges and Marshall Sullivan saw action in doubles play for the first time since playing Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 1.
After taking the doubles point, the Sooners also took three-straight singles points at the No. 5, 3 and 6 positions for a commanding win. Patzanovsky fought hard against Spencer Papa, ranked No. 62, earning a tiebreak in the first set, but left the match unfinished in the second set. Story played at the No. 2 spot and earned a 6-2 win in the first set against Alex Bakashi, ranked No. 67, also leaving the match unfinished.
Against Oklahoma State, the Tigers began in a better position, winning the opening doubles point behind Jan Pallares/Sydow’s 7-6(5) tiebreak win and Cutting/Stevenson’s strong 6-1 win over Mathieu Scaglia/Maxim Tybar, the No. 22 ranked duo in the nation. The Cowboys turned the momentum to tie the game with a win at court 1. Although Cutting regained the lead for Memphis at court 6, Oklahoma State posted three straight wins to clinch the match after winning the last two-in-three sets.
What’s next for the TigersÂ
The Tigers are fresh off a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat against AAC foe Wichita State yesterday in a midday matchup. They now move to 1-1 in conference play. The Memphis Tigers will travel next weekend to the 2019 San Diego Invite, hosted by both by the University of San Diego and San Diego State.
