BOX SCORE  SEASON STATS GRANT CHEN POSTGAME



DALLAS (SMU) – The Mustangs took down the reigning conference champs, No. 40 USF, 5-2, at the SMU Tennis Complex on Friday afternoon.
 
SMU improved to 9-4 on the season with its first victory over a ranked team since 2017. SMU began play with an impressive doubles win. After early deficits on all courts, the Mustangs strung together solid play across the matches to fight their way back. Jan-Simon Vrbsky and Jose Juan Bianchi took down Yatsuk/Montesa, 6-2, while Carles Sarrio and Ethan Leon rallied to win 7-5 on No. 1. The pairing is a perfect 3-0 in dual match doubles play this season. No. 54 Caleb Chakravarthi and Tomas Vaise were in the midst of a tiebreaker when the Mustangs got on the scoreboard first.
 
In singles play, SMU held on to its advantage by winning three of the six first sets. USF tied the match with a win on No. 5 as Gardiner Perotti fell, 6-3, 6-1. A pair of Mustang freshman answered right back. Leon put together a tactical take down of Pierre Luquet on No. 3 with a 6-2, 6-1 win, while Jordi Redelijk won a pair of 6-3 sets for the third Mustang point of the match.
 
Needing a win on one of the remaining courts, Sarrio looked as if he would be forced to head to a decisive third set before he fended off a few USF set points to force a tiebreaker. The senior clinched the victory with a dominating serve, winning 7-4 in the tiebreaker.
 
Chakravarthi grinded through a tough first-set tiebreaker and a 0-3 start to the second set to create a close match on No. 1.  Chase Ferguson would eventually win the match, 7-6, 6-4 for the second Bulls point. Vrsbky played line six in his first singles match after returning from an injury. The junior captain responded after a 6-4 first set loss with a 6-4 victory of his own. Vrsbky dominated the final set, 6-2, to put the final tally at 5-2 SMU.
 
SMU snapped a 17-match losing streak against ranked opponents with the victory, a streak that includes the last NCAA Tournament match the Mustangs played in. The last win came in the final regular season game of 2017 against No. 38 Rice.
 
SMU returns for a doubleheader on Saturday. The Mustangs meet the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer at 9 a.m. before a 2 p.m. Metroplex showdown with the 12^th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs. Complimentary food trucks will be available to the first 100 fans during the afternoon match.