No. 49 Baylor (9-11) vs No. 47 SMU (11-9)
Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex – Dallas, Texas
5 p.m. | Thursday, Mar. 23
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DALLAS- After clinching its second ranked victory last Sunday, No. 47 SMU men's tennis looks to add another as the Mustangs host No. 49 Baylor at 5 p.m. at the Styslinger/ Altec Tennis Complex in the Match of the Month. The first 200 fans to arrive will receive a free SMU Men's Tennis tank top and sunglasses.
 
The Mustangs have been put to the test, facing four top-75 foes prior to the meetup with the Bears and will play two more in the next 10-day span.
 
SMU is coming off a 4-1 victory in its second at home conference matchup against No. 55 Tulsa. The Mustangs took the doubles point and three straight singles matches which included Adam Neff's third straight ranked victory on Court 1 extending his win streak to six straight in singles.
 
SMU enters the matchup as the No. 47 ranked team in the nation with a trio of players ranked in the top 75. Adam Neff enters the ITA singles rankings for the first time this season at No. 64 following a pair for top-35 ranked victories. Neff and doubles partner, Pranav Kumar, remain in the doubles rankings at No. 69.
 
The Mustangs will have their hands full as Baylor is no stranger to the ITA rankings. The Bears come in as the No. 49 team in the nation with five members ranked. Jake Finn Bass leads the way as the No. 41 ranked player in the ITA singles rankings and he is joined by Tadeas Paroulek who comes in at No. 94. Paroulek and Zsombor Velcz are the 11^th ranked doubles pairing as Finn Bass and Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi are directly behind at the No. 12 spot.
 
INSIDE THE MATCH
The Mustangs are nearly perfect at home with an 11-2 record. The Mustangs only losses come from top-60 teams (San Diego and UCF).
 
SMU has won 14 doubles points this season and Baylor will pose a challenge with two doubles pairings ranked in the top-15.
 
Thursday's match will be the 33^rd matchup between the two programs dating back to 1985 as Baylor holds a 26-7 lead.
 
Series History: Baylor
All time: Baylor leads 26-7
Home Records: 5-7
Away Records: 1-14
Neutral Records: 1-4
First Meeting: 8-1, SMU Mar. 4, 1985
Last Meeting: 6-1, Baylor Mar. 28, 2021
Current Winning Streak: W23 Baylor
 
MUSTANG MARK
Adam Neff was named the AAC Player of the Week on Tuesday, Mar. 21. Neff scored a pair of singles wins against top-35 players last week, extending his winning streak to six straight in singles. He captured a third-set tiebreaker to defeat the nation's No. 30-ranked player in a 5-2 setback to No. 33 California, taking a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 10-4 decision at No. 1 singles. He went on to get the clinching points in both doubles and singles in a 4-1 victory against No. 55 Tulsa, scoring a 7-5 win at No. 1 doubles and a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles against the No. 34-ranked player. Neff improved to 8-2 in singles matches in the dual match season, including three victories against ranked players.

Neff and doubles partner, Pranav Kumar joined forced again against No. 55 Tulsa. The duo clinched the doubles point to improve to a 5-4 record together at Court 1. Neff and Kumar hold two ranked victories together putting them at the No. 69 spot in the ITA doubles rankings.
 
Antonio Muniz-Hidalgo picked up the Mustangs second point of the day against No. 55 Tulsa in straight sets on Court 3. Muniz-Hidalgo picked up his first match clincher of the season against No. 21 Cornell with a third set victory on Court 4.
 
Sophomore Louis Cloud holds a 8-5 record over the season. Cloud improves to three match-clinchers with his most recent victory against Old Dominion on Court 6. Cloud picked up two singles wins for the Mustangs at the ITA Kickoff weekend going undefeated throughout the weekend. Since fall 2022, Cloud has gone 15-7.

Liam Krall and Kumar sit at seven wins each for the Mustangs. Krall improved to 7-6 after his straight set victory on Court 2 against Tulsa.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
No. 49 Baylor went 1-1 in its doubleheader against No. 16 Wake Forest and Prairie View A&M. The Bears lost to the Demon Deacons 4-0 then turned around and swept the Panthers in a 6-0 victory. The Bears have yet to win a match over a ranked opponent.
 
UP NEXT
SMU will return on the road to Tampa, Florida in back-to-back ranked matchups against No. 35 Tulane on Apr. 1 at 1 p.m. and No. 60 South Florida on Apr. 2 at 1 p.m.
 
SMU IN THE ITA RANKINGS

ITA Team Ranking (March 21 ranking)

47 SMU

Men's Singles (March 14 ranking)

64 Adam Neff

Men's Doubles (March 14 ranking)

69 Pranav Kumar/ Adam Neff

ITA Team Ranking (March 14 ranking)

50 SMU

ITA Team Ranking (February 28 ranking)
 
75 SMU

ITA Team Ranking (February 21 ranking)
 
68 SMU
 
Men's Doubles (February 21 ranking)
 
55 Pranav Kumar/ Adam Neff