Jan. 27, 2006

FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU men's tennis team begins the 2006 season on Saturday when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The Frogs begin the season ranked No. 50 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

TCU head coach Joey Rive´ enters his sixth season at the helm for the Frogs and looks to guide the team to its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Boasting a talented group of returning players and three exciting newcomers, the Frogs prepare for their first season as a member of the newly aligned Mountain West Conference.

Senior Rafael Abreu starts the season ranked No. 69 in singles play and is the team's co-captain alongside senior Jacopo Tezza.

Abreu finished the 2005 with a 14-14 singles record and a 23-14 mark in doubles play. The Barquisimeto, Venezuela, product paired with 2005 Conference USA Player of the Year Fabrizio Sestini to finish last season with a No. 18 ranking in doubles play.

Tezza, a fourth-year player, finished 13-12 in doubles play a season ago and is coming off a strong fall campaign that saw him compile a 4-3 record in doubles.

The Frogs are a perfect 3-0 versus the Islanders and are in search of their fourth-straight home opening victory. Last season, TCU won a close match versus Texas A&M-CC, 4-3, to open the 2005 campaign.

Match time is slated for a noon start. If weather becomes a factor, the match will move to the indoor courts and immediately follow the TCU women's match versus North Texas.