As the Frogs prepare for NCAA tournament action next week, men’s tennis coach David Roditi and honored player Cameron Norrie addressed how the team has prepared for the upcoming tournament.
Roditi credits Coach Bowen’s impact on team practices, which have improved the team’s mindset going into the tournament.
“Bowen’s message has always been to focus on improvement and quality of practice,” Roditi said. “This is what we have been doing for three years, and it’s worked.”
Because this year’s team doesn’t have a lot of depth, Roditi said that the team has been very careful approaching their habits both on and off the court.
“We don’t have enough players to afford having a serious injury,” Roditi said.
Following last season’s devastating loss in the NCAA tournament, the team created the motto “unfinished business” that has motivated them to get to this point — one that Roditi hopes will get them to the title.
Norrie, the current No. 1 player in singles action, decided to turn down the professional stage and come back to TCU because of this unfinished business.
“I decided to come back because I wanted to win a national title,” Norrie said. “We had come so close the last two years and I felt that the team really deserves one due to the hard work we’ve put in.”
Norrie said he feels that his consistent play during games and practice, his communication with agents and his increased maturity make him feel ready to leave TCU after this season.
“I want to be remembered as a tough competitor that’s brought TCU tennis success and has made it more well known across campus,” Norrie said.
“I feel like this team has a chance to win the National Championship,” Roditi said. “But now, every team is at the same level, so it’s all about how you play over the next three weeks that will decide who wins the tournament.”
The Frogs earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament and will host No. 32 Florida State, No. 39 Arkansas and Jackson State on May 12-13 for the first and second rounds at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. TCU’s matchup against Jackson State will be played on Friday, May 12 at 2 p.m. This marks the team’s third straight season hosting the first and second rounds of the tournament.
“Our mindset is to take it one match at a time, have more energy, and to be the aggressive one,” Roditi said. “It’s what we’ve done all year, it’s nothing new to us.”
Norrie said it’s great for him to see tennis getting, “hyped up” at TCU throughout the past couple years.
“I’d love to see this team win the title for TCU,” Norrie said. “It would mean a lot for us, but more for TCU as a whole, to make history here.”
