Rice University
LSU
Fast Start Sparks End to LSU Road Streak
2/19/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
by Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu) -
Emanuel Llamas and Jake Hansen provided the early spark and David Warren put an end to any hopes of a rally as the Rice men's tennis team won in Baton Rouge for the first time since 2004, downing LSU 4-0 at the LSU Tennis Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The win snapped a five-match losing streak for the Owls in Baton Rouge, dating back to a 4-1 win over the Tigers in the final of the 2004 Baton Rouge NCAA Regional which earned the Owls their last appearance in the Sweet 16.
"Just a great effort today," Rice head coach Efe Ustundag said. "The guys came and jumped on them early with an energetic doubles point and kept it going in singles. But unlike last year at the NCAA's, Manny and Jake were able to get off the court quickly and really put the pressure on them."
The two schools met twice last year, with each team overcoming a loss in doubles to win the match. Rice won 4-3 at home in January and then the two met again in the first round of the Ft. Worth Regional. The Owls took the doubles point that day and stormed out to early leads in singles, only to see the Tigers rebound and emerge with a tense 4-3 win that featured five, three-set matches and ended when Warren dropped a third set tiebreaker.
The early script was eerily familiar on Sunday as the Owls stormed to the doubles point and again took four of six first sets.
But Llamas and Hansen quickly extended the lead to 3-0 with straight set wins while Jamie Malik and Tommy Bennett, who dropped their first sets fired back in the second to keep the Tigers off the board. Meanwhile Warren, who had posted a 6-1 verdict in his opening set, fought off three set points in the second set against the Tigers' Gabor Csonka to force a tiebreaker. He put any hopes of a Tiger comeback to an end, fighting back from a 6-5 deficit with Csonka serving to win three straight points and clinch the win.
"The way our matches with LSU have gone, if David had not gotten it done right there, you never know what would have happened. It was big for David to be able to end it right there."
The Owls, who improved to 6-4 on the year, will have a short turnaround this week as they compete in the 69th Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Alabama, February 24-25.
"It will be a quick turnaround this week and we are headed for a tough weekend of competition, but it's good to have this win under our belts and we get ready for next weekend," Ustundag said.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
6,3,5
Players Mentioned
