Rice University
Florida State
FSU Avoids Rice Upset Bid
3/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 8, 2006
HOUSTON -- The 57th-ranked Rice men's upset bid came just short as 35th-ranked Florida State rallied for a 4-3 win in dual-match action that lasted more than four hours Wednesday at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium.
After losing at number two doubles, the Owls' Robert Searle and Tony Haerle evened the score with an 8-6 win against Ytai Abougzir and Chris Westerhof at number one. Rice's Ben Harknett and Christoph Müller then rallied from a 4-1 deficit to beat Jonothas Sucupira and Sam Chang 9-8 (7) to claim the doubles point.
The Owls held on to the momentum early in singles as Harknett scored a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sucupira at the two position. Haerle then put Rice up 3-0 with his 6-4, 6-2 win against Westerhof at number four.
Florida State began chipping away at the Rice lead with a pair of straight-set wins at five and six singles. The Seminoles' Abougzir then held off Searle at the top spot for a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 decision sending all eyes to number three for the deciding match. Rice's Ralph Knupfer and FSU's Chang battled back and forth before Chang rallied late in the second set to force a third, then held on for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win to give the Seminoles the team victory.
The loss drops Rice's record to 5-5 on the year. The Owls return to action on Saturday, battling 44th-ranked Minnesota at 11 am at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium.
Results
No. 35 Florida State 4, No. 57 Rice 3
Doubles
1. Searle/Haerle (RU) def. Abougzik/Westerhof (FSU), 8-6
2. Drew Bailey/Sykut (FSU) def. Rodrigo Gabriel/Knupfer (RU), 8-2
3. Müller/Harknett (RU) def. Sucupira/Chang (FSU), 9-8 (7)
Singles
1. Ytai Abougzir (FSU) def. Robert Searle (RU), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
2. Ben Harknett (RU) def. Jonathas Sucupira (FSU), 6-3, 6-4
3. Sam Chang (FSU) def. Ralph Knupfer (RU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
4. Tony Haerle (RU) def. Chris Westerhof (FSU), 6-4, 6-2
5. Maciek Sykut (FSU) def. Christoph Müller (RU), 6-4, 7-5
6. Chris Cloer (FSU) def. Jason Mok (RU), 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: D2, D1, D3, S2, S4, S6, S5, S1, S3*
Players Mentioned
