SMU
#55 Rice
Mustangs Top Rice, 4-2, In Regular Season Finale
Apr 12 | Men's Tennis
DALLAS (SMU) -- The SMU Mustangs men's tennis team closed their regular season on a high note on Sunday, beating Rice, 4-2, at the Turpin Stadium at the SMU Tennis Complex.
SMU (18-8) was led by senior Arturs Kazijevs, who was honored pre-match for his career at SMU. Kazijevs, a native of Riga, Latvia, gave SMU its first point of the match with a quick 6-0, 6-2, win at No. 2 singles over Max Andrews. His point tied the match at 1-1 after Rice took the opening point in doubles play.
"Arturs played his best match so far this year," SMU head coach Carl Neufeld said. "He's playing his best tennis of the season and maybe his career at the right time of the year for us."
The Mustangs then received singles wins from freshman Samm Butler and junior Nate Lammons in quick succession to bring SMU's lead up to 3-1. Butler won 6-3, 6-3 over Jamie Malik at No. 3, while Lammons topped Adam Gustafsson at No. 4, 6-4, 6-4.
After Rice won on court 5 to bring the score to 3-2, sophomore Markus Kerner came from behind to win at No. 1 singles to clinch the match for the Mustangs. With Rice's Srikar Alla serving for the match up 40-30 in set 3, Kerner won the next two points to tie the set at 5-5. Kerner then promptly won the next game to lead 6-5, and followed with another break point victory to win the final set, 7-5.
"It was an exciting match, like many of our matches have been this season," Neufeld said. "It was also great to get our first big outdoor win of the season. It was an exciting match and we had another great crowd."
Kazijevs' singles win was the 65th of his collegiate career and his 10th of this spring. Butler's win improved his spring record to a team-best 19-4, while Lammons jumped to 16-5.
SMU will next take aim at the American Athletic Conference Championships in Tulsa, Okla., April 16-19.
Tennis Match Results
Rice vs SMU
Apr 12, 2015 at Dallas, Texas
#44 SMU 4, #55 Rice 2
Singles competition
1. Markus Kerner (SMU) def. Srikar Alla (RICE) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
2. Arturs Kazijevs (SMU) def. Max Andrews (RICE) 6-0, 6-2
3. Samm Butler (SMU) def. Jamie Malik (RICE) 6-3, 6-3
4. Nate Lammons (SMU) def. Adam Gustafsson (RICE) 6-4, 6-4
5. David Warren (RICE) def. Tony Russell (SMU) 7-6, 6-4
6. Charles Nettlefold (SMU) vs. Gustavo Gonzalez (RICE) 2-6, 6-4, 4-3, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #87 Max Andrews/David Warren (RICE) def. #86 Markus Kerner/Arturs Kazijevs (SMU) 7-6 (7-4)
2. Jamie Malik/Zach Yablon (RICE) def. Arkadijs Slobodkins/Nate Lammons (SMU) 6-1
3. Tony Russell/Samm Butler (SMU) def. Adam Gustafsson/Gustavo Gonzalez (RICE) 7-5
Match Notes:
Rice 11-13; National ranking #55
SMU 18-8; National ranking #44
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,4,5,1)
T-3:09 A-320
SMU honored senior Arturs Kazijevs pre-match today. SMU and Rice are about to begin doubles. Follow the scores live: www.smumustangs.com/mtennis #PonyUp
Posted by SMU Men's Tennis on Sunday, April 12, 2015
