March 17, 2004
FORT WORTH, Texas
In a match ridden with injuries, the No. 15 TCU men's tennis team blanked the No. 31 Miami Hurricanes, 7-0, Wednesday afternoon. The match was played on the Tut Bartzen Varsity Tennis Courts at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs moved to 12-1 this season and Miami fell to 9-3.
TCU had no trouble winning the doubles point. Hector Almada teamed with Robert Gallman for a win against Jeremiah Fuller and P.J. Passalacqua at the No. 2 position. Almada's usual partner Jacopo Tezza sat out with a pulled groin. The duo won when Passalacqua pulled out after the second game with an injury. Jacob Martin and Alex Menichini moved to 12-0 on the year at three when they downed Eric Hechtman and John Hoyes II, 8-4, to secure the point.
The remaining match at one between TCU's No. 36-rated duo of Rafael Abreu and Fabrizio Sestini and Miami's Tim Krebs and Colin Purcell was awarded to the Hurricanes with the contest tied at four apiece. Sestini had to withdraw due to tendonitis in his knee.
With Passalacqua out and no replacements available, Miami took a default at six singles to give the Horned Frogs' a 2-0 lead. TCU easily captured the triumph thanks to Almada's 6-2, 6-0 victory at two versus Krebs and Menichini's 6-1, 6-3 decision at the top slot against Hechtman.
The remaining matches at three, four and five concluded within minutes of each other. Gallman's match went first at No. 5 singles by a 7-5, 6-1 count in his favor. Abreu defeated Purcell by scores of 7-5, 6-3 at three and Martin was a 7-6, 6-3 winner at the No. 4 hole.
The Horned Frogs' next match is scheduled against No. 33 Boise State at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 20, at the Friedman Tennis Center.
#15 TCU (12-1) 7, #31 Miami (9-3) 0
SINGLES
1. #40 Alex Menichini (TCU) def. Eric Hechtman (UM) 6-1, 6-3
2. Hector Almada (TCU) def. Tim Krebs (UM) 6-2, 6-0
3. Rafael Abreu (TCU) def. Colin Purcell (UM) 7-5, 6-3
4. Jacob Martin (TCU) def. John Hoyes II (UM) 7-6, 6-3
5. Robert Gallman (TCU) def. Jeremiah Fuller (UM) 7-5, 6-1
6. Andrew Ulrich (TCU) def. P.J. Passalacqua (UM) Default (inj.)
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 1*, 5, 3, 4
DOUBLES
1. Krebs/Purcell (UM) def. #36 Abreu/Fabrizio Sestini (TCU) 4-4, ret. (inj.)
2. Almada/Gallman (TCU) def. Fuller/Passalacqua (UM) 2-0, ret. (inj.)
3. Martin/Menichini (TCU) def. Hechtman/Hoyes II (UM) 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3*, 1
* Clinching point
