Rice University
Minnesota
#57 Owls Beat #44 Gophers 5-2
3/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 11, 2006
HOUSTON -- Behind the solid play of their three seniors, the 57th-ranked Rice men upset 44th-ranked Minnesota 5-2 in dual match action Saturday afternoon at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium.
Owl seniors Tony Haerle and Robert Searle dropped the Golden Gophers' Andres Osorio and Sion Wilkins 8-5 at number-one doubles. Junior Ben Harknett and freshman Christoph Müller then held off D.J. Geatz and Mikey Kantar at the three position for an 8-6 victory to give Rice the doubles point.
After Minnesota tied the team score at 1-1, senior Rodrigo Gabriel rallied back from an early 4-2 deficit to dominate Wilkins in a 6-4, 6-0 victory and post the Owls' first singles point. The Gophers knotted the score again with a win at two singles before Searle put the Owls ahead for good with his 7-5, 6-3 win against Geatz at the top spot.
Haerle clinched the Rice upset at four singles with his strong finish in a 7-5, 6-2 win against Adrien Debreyne. In the only match to go three sets, sophomore Ralph Knupfer rallied from an early setback to beat Nic Edlefsen 6-7, 7-5, 1-0 (6) at three singles.
The win improves Rice's record to 6-5 on the year. The Owls next head to San Diego, Calif., for three matches next week, beginning with a double header against Montana State and Gonzaga on Wednesday. Rice ends the trip on March 18, facing off with 23rd-ranked San Diego.
Results
No. 57 Rice 5, No. 44 Minnesota 2
Doubles
1. Searle/Haerle (RU) def. Osorio/Wilkins (UM), 8-5
2. Schwark/Dedreyne (UM) def. Jason Mok /Knupfer (RU), 8-3
3. Müller/Harknett (RU) def. Geatz/Mikey Kantar (UM), 8-6
Singles
1. No. 59 Robert Searle (RU) def. No. 65 D.J. Geatz (UM), 7-5, 6-3
2. Andres Osorio (UM) def. Ben Harknett (RU), 6-4, 6-2
3. Ralph Knupfer (RU) def. No. 117 Nic Edlefsen (UM), 6-7, 7-5, 1-0 (6)
4. Tony Haerle (RU) def. Adrien Debreyne (UM), 7-5, 6-2
5. Raoul Schwark (UM) def. Christoph Müller (RU), 7-5, 6-3
6. Rodrigo Gabriel (RU) def. Sion Wilkins (UM), 6-4, 6-0
Order of Finish: D2, D1, D3, S5, S6, S2, S1, S4*, S3
Players Mentioned
