The 36th-ranked TCU men’s tennis team will end its six-match homestand with a double-header Saturday against University of Memphis and the University of Texas-Pan American.
The Horned Frogs will take on No. 34 Memphis first who is 7-6 on the year, after a recent loss Thursday evening to No. 20 Baylor University. TCU will be Memphis’s 11th ranked opponent of the season.
“The team is in good spirits after the win Tuesday and we have had very specific and detailed practices to prepare for Memphis,” head coach David Roditi said. “This week it’s been about preparing to handle Memphis’ huge serves by improving on our returns and the 1-2 punch-fire power.”
This will be only the third matchup between the two schools, with TCU taking victories in the previous two meetings in 2000 and 2005.
While Memphis does not have any doubles teams ranked, junior Johnny Grimal from Barcelona, Spain is ranked 110th by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association in singles. Grimal was upset by Baylor putting an end to his three match-winning streak.
TCU sophomore duo Nick Chappell and Will Stein are ranked 79th with a current 10-4 record. For TCU singles both Chappell and sophomore Arnau Dachs appeared in this weeks ITA single’s rankings Nos. 103 and 119.
TCU’s second match opponent UTPA does not have any ranked singles or doubles players, but Roditi said that would give the team an opportunity for players like Stein, junior Max Stevens and sophomore Blake Wiggins that didn’t usually appear singles lineup to step up and play.
The Frogs have taken on UTPA nine times in the past, including wins in the last seven meetings making their record 8-1.
With match attendance at the highest it’s been in decades, Roditi said he expected one of the biggest crowds on the season this weekend at around 1,000 people.
This weekend’s double-header will feature an Easter egg hunt, face painters and it is the kick off event of TCU Greek Week. “We are making this the place to be Saturday,” he said.
The first serve against Memphis is set for 1 p.m. with UTPA following at 5 p.m.
