April 16, 2011

Box Score vs. Rice

HOUSTON (SMU) - The SMU men's tennis team was defeated by 5-2 by conference rival Rice on Saturday in the final match of the regular season. With the loss, the Mustangs finish 16-8 in the regular season and 3-2 in conference action.

The Owls opened the match with a sweep of the doubles point, but the Mustangs kept things close sending two matches to a tiebreaker. The No. 88 pairing of Artem Baradach and Gaston Cuadranti lost 8-7 (7-3) to the No. 80 duo of Peter Frank and Sam Garforth-Bles. Christian Saravia and Michael Nuesslein combined to defeat Adham el-Effendi and Darren Walsh 9-8 (7-5). Tobias Flood and Joseph Hattrup fell to Oscar Podlewski and Harry Fowler 8-4.

In singles play, No. 44 Baradach downed No. 96 Fowler 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the No. 1 position. With the win, Baradach finishes with an 11-4 record in the regular season and a 10-4 mark in the top spot.

Mischa Nowicki also picked a win for SMU as he beat Saravia 6-4, 6-1. David Costa was defeated by Frank 6-4, 6-1, while Cuadranti fell to Podlewski 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. el-Effendi lost 6-4, 6-2 to Garforth-Bles, as Nuesslein downed Flood 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.

SMU heads to Tulsa, Okla., for the Conference USA Championships April 21-24.