April 17, 2004
MEMPHIS, Tenn.
The 17th-ranked TCU men's tennis team advanced to the Conference USA Championship title match Saturday thanks to a 4-0 drubbing of No. 36-rated Louisville. The Horned Frogs hold the No. 1 seed for the tournament, which is being hosted by the University of Memphis at the HPER Courts. Louisville is seeded No. 3. TCU improved to 16-5 on the year, while the Cardinals dropped to 19-8.
The Purple and White had little trouble winning the doubles point, picking up wins at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions. Jacob Martin and Alex Menichini got the first victory at three by an 8-4 count against Mark Kennedy and Octavian Nicodim. Hector Almada and Jacopo Tezza secured the 1-0 lead for the Frogs when they topped Jakob Gustafsson and Damar Johnson at two, 8-5.
TCU's 27th-ranked duo of Rafael Abreu and Fabrizio Sestini did not finish their match at the No. 1 slot against No. 18 Jeremy Clark and Matt Mayer.
The Horned Frogs cruised through three singles matches in straight sets to earn the 4-0 win. Martin was the first to finish with a 6-1, 6-2 decision over Clark at six singles. Sestini put the Frogs ahead 3-0 when he disposed of Johnson at the No. 3 hole, 6-2, 6-4. For the second day in a row, Almada clinched TCU's victory at two singles by defeating Nicodim, 6-3, 6-1.
The remaining matches at one, four and five singles were discontinued once TCU won its fourth point.
TCU will be pitted against the winner of No. 6-seeded Memphis and No. 2-seeded Tulane for the C-USA crown Sunday, April 18, at 11 a.m. CDT. Tulane defeated TCU in the final last year by a 4-2 tally. The Horned Frogs have not won a conference tournament title since 2001 when they upended Fresno State for the Western Athletic Conference championship.
Louisville will take on the loser of Memphis-Tulane for third place.
#17 TCU (16-5) 4, #36 Louisville (19-8) 0
SINGLES
1. #39 Alex Menichini (TCU) vs. Matt Mayer (UL) DNF
2. Hector Almada (TCU) def. Octavian Nicodim (UL) 6-3, 6-1
3. Fabrizio Sestini (TCU) def. Damar Johnson (UL) 6-2, 6-4
4. Jacopo Tezza (TCU) vs. Jhonny Berrido (UL) DNF
5. Rafael Abreu (TCU) vs. Jakob Gustafsson (UL) DNF
6. Jacob Martin (TCU) def. Jeremy Clark (UL) 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish: 6, 3, 2*
DOUBLES
1. #27 Abreu/Sestini (TCU) vs. #18 Clark/Mayer (UL) DNF
2. Almada/Tezza (TCU) def. Gustafsson/Johnson (UL) 8-5
3. Martin/Menichini (TCU) def. Mark Kennedy/Nicodim (UL) 8-4
Order of Finish: 3, 2*
* Clinching point
