The men's tennis team opens its home game Friday against crosstown rival University of Texas-Arlington.

After falling 4-3 to No. 20 Michigan over the weekend in Ann Arbor, head coach David Roditi said the team had a focused week of practice and was excited to be back in Fort Worth.

"The level of engagement has been great all week," Roditi said. "UTA is always a tough team because we have a long history of fierce competition."

Roditi said that being only 20 minutes from one another meant that the teams know each others strengths and weaknesses.

Not only are the two schools close in proximity, but one former TCU tennis player now plays for the Mavs.

Soren Goritzka, a senior from Wilhemshaven, Germany, transferred to UTA from TCU before his junior year. Last year, Goritzka was named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year.

Roditi said that another challenge with UTA being so close was that they bring a lot of spirited fans. He said he hoped to have a strong turnout from the student body and local fans to keep the home court advantage.

First serve is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.