Oct. 4, 2007
TULSA, Okla. - Cosmin Cotet, a senior on the TCU men's tennis team, earned two wins on Thursday in the opening rounds of the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships' main draw, including an upset of the No. 2 player in the nation.
"Cosmin has really come along in terms of mental toughness and how his game has improved," said TCU head coach Dave Borelli. "I'm really pleased with how he came back from the first match and was able to win the second match in straight sets as well. I'm excited that he's playing with 16 of the best players in the nation."
In the first round, Cotet defeated No. 2 Steven Moneke of Ohio State 6-1, 6-3. Last season, Cotet fell to Moneke at the Rice Invitational by a score of 6-1, 6-1.
Cotet would score another impressive victory in the following round, knocking off Cory Parr of Wake Forest 6-1, 6-3. Parr is currently ranked No. 46 in the nation.
Cotet also teamed up with Kriegler Brink in the opening round of the doubles main draw, defeating Drake's Dalibor Pavic and Maor Zirkin, 8-2. The TCU duo, ranked No. 22 nationally, will play in the second round of the main draw on Friday.
"Kriegler played exceptionally well in the doubles match," Borelli said. "They really looked great today.
"We're really starting to understand the concept of what it takes to compete. We've come such a long with the guys that have been playing for me the past year. I'm not concerned with wins or losses, but how we approach playing and how we compete."
Cotet will meet Southern California's Robert Farrah in the singles round of 16 on Friday at 10:30 a.m. Brink and Cotet will face Illinois' Brandon Davis and Ryan Rowe at 5 p.m. on Friday in the second round.
Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships
Case Tennis Center - Tulsa, Okla.
Singles Main Draw (First Round)
Cosmin Cotet (TCU) def. No. 2 Steven Moneke (Ohio State) 6-1, 6-3
Singles Main Draw (Second Round)
Cosmin Cotet (TCU) def. Cory Parr (Wake Forest) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles Main Draw (First Round)
Brink/Cotet (TCU) def. Pavic/Zirkin (Drake) 8-2
