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Tennis team to take court in
Rice tourney By Ram Luthra It’s been two months since the No. 6-ranked TCU men’s tennis team competed in a tournament, but Friday the team will once again take the court for its final individual tournament of the season. First-year men’s head tennis coach Joey Rive said the three-day Metropolitan Racquet Club/Rice University Indoor tennis tournament in Houston will be more than just a starting point for the season. “All the players are coming off a long break, and this tournament gives us a chance to get our juices flowing a bit,” Rive said. “This tournament is a great place to start the season.” Last year, TCU had great success at the Rice tournament. Senior Esteban Carril won the singles title and the Horned Frogs’ doubles team, comprised of senior Scott Eddins and sophomore Jimmy Haney, captured the doubles title. Rive credits the team’s high Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranking to both its individual experience and its mutual focus. “We have great experience on this team,” Rive said. “Instead of focusing on individual success, the squad’s main agenda is concentrated on the team concept.” In addition to their No. 6 ranking, the Frogs also have three individuals ranked in the top 100. Two-time All-American Carril is No. 20, sophomore Antonio Gordon is No. 40 and junior Daniel Wajnberg is No. 88. While Carril won’t play in Friday’s tournament, Rive said seniors Trace Fielding, Sebastian Iannariello and Petr Koula will play. Eddins, Wajnberg, Haney, Gordon and red-shirt freshman Jose Mendoza are also scheduled to compete. The tournament will consist of some of the region’s
premier programs including Southern Methodist, Texas A&M, Rice,
Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas-Little Rock. “The competition should be good, if not great,” Rive said. “(There will be) good players from good teams represented in this tournament.”Texas A&M senior Shuon Madden will be the tournament’s No. 1-seeded player. Along with giving the team a jump start to the spring season, Rive said the tournament will also give the team a jump start to the rest of the indoor season. “The tournament will give us a chance to get a bit more comfortable,” Rive said. “It will give us a chance to get better indoors, especially since we will play at the National Indoors and the Washington Quad later on this season.” TCU will open its dual-match season noon Jan. 27 against Texas-Arlington. Ram Luthra |