MEN’S TENNIS FALLS IN TIGHTLY CONTESTED MATCH AT #42 TCU

3/18/2010

FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU won the doubles point and picked up tightly contested victories at the Nos. 3-6 singles spots to defeat Sacramento State, 5-2, in a non-conference men’s tennis match Thursday evening at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.

Junior Kiryl Harbatsiuk (6-0, 5-7, 6-2 at No. 1) and senior Anton Stryhas (4-6, 6-3, 10-8 at No. 2) were the only victorious Hornets. The other four singles matches were all close, including a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 loss at No. 4 by senior Holden Ching.

TCU, which is ranked 42nd in the nation, improved to 6-5 overall and 3-3 on its home courts. Sacramento State dropped to 6-7 with the loss, and five of those defeats have now come to squads ranked among the top 42 in the nation. The Hornets are 1-5 against ranked teams this year.

TCU opened the match by winning two of the three doubles matches to gain the doubles point. Harbatsiuk and Marko Starcevic easily won at at No. 1, while the Frogs’ tandems at Nos. 2 and 3 both won by 8-6 scores.

Sacramento State’s Jason Smith (6-4, 6-4 at No. 3), Ching, Tim Lantin (6-3, 6-4 at No. 5) and Starcevic (6-3, 7-5 at No. 6) each lost. Smith had won 10 consecutive singles matches prior to tonight’s loss, and is now 10-3 this season.

The victory for Harbatsiuk at No. 1 improved the Belarus native’s winning streak to 11 straight. For just the second time all season, Harbatsiuk was taken to three sets and he improved to 12-1 this year. Eleven of his 12 victories have come in straight sets. Stryhas improved to 6-6.

Sacramento State returns to action for two more matches over the next two days in Arlington. The Hornets play UT-Arlington tomorrow at 1 p.m. PDT, and Columbia on Sunday at 8 a.m. PDT.

#42 TCU 5, Sacramento State 2
Mar 18, 2010 at Fort Worth, Texas

Singles competition
1. #64 Kiryl Harbatsiuk (SAC) def. Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) 6-0, 5-7, 6-2
2. Anton Stryhas (SAC) def. #99 Zach Nichols (TCU) 4-6, 6-3, 10-8
3. Slah Mbarek (TCU) def. Jason Smith (SAC) 6-4, 6-4
4. Marius Cirstea (TCU) def. Holden Ching (SAC) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
5. Christopher Price (TCU) def. Tim Lantin (SAC) 6-3, 6-4
6. Sören Goritzka (TCU) def. Marko Starcevic (SAC) 6-3, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. Marko Starcevic/Kiryl Harbatsiuk (SAC) def. Emanuel Brighiu/Christopher Price (TCU) 8-1
2. Slah Mbarek/Sören Goritzka (TCU) def. Jason Smith/Holden Ching (SAC) 8-6
3. Zach Nichols/Paul Chappell (TCU) def. Tim Lantin/Anton Stryhas (SAC) 8-6

Match Notes
Sacramento State 6-7
TCU 6-5; National ranking #42
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (5,3,6,1,4,2)