HOUSTON — UTSA opened the 2015 spring season with a 4-3 triumph at Rice, spoiling the Owls’ inaugural match at the brand-new George R. Brown Tennis Center on Friday afternoon.
The Roadrunners claimed a 3-1 lead after claiming the doubles point and winning two of the first three singles matches, but the Owls rallied to knot the match at 3-3 after claiming victories at Nos. 2 and 5. The decisive competition came down the top singles spot, where UTSA's Tomas Stillman, the 42nd-ranked player in the nation, outlasted Srikar Alla, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), to clinch the Roadrunners' second straight win and third victory in the last four meetings with Rice.
The tandem of senior Joel Rubio and junior Diogo Casa opened the match with a 6-0 shutout against Rice’s Henrik Munich and Zach Yablon at No. 3 doubles. Rice countered with a 6-3 win at the No. 1 slot, but UTSA secured the first point of the day with a 6-3 decision at No. 2 by the sen ior duo of Stillman and Yannick Junger.
After Rice evened the ledger at 1-1 with a win at No. 6 singles, Junger downed Adam Gustafsson at No. 3, 6-1, 6-3, and Moreiras defeated Max Andrews at No. 4, 6-2, 6-3, to give the visitors a 3-1 advantage before Rice rallied.
UTSA will take on No. 60 Cornell (0-0) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Houston.
UTSA 4, Rice 3
Doubles
1. Andrews/Warren (RICE) def. Brand/Moreiras (UTSA) 6-3
2. Junger/Stillman (UTSA) def. Alla/Malik (RICE) 6-3
3. Casa/Rubio (UTSA) def. Munch/Yablon (RICE) 6-0
Singles
1. #42 Tomas Stillman (UTSA) def. Srikar Alla (RICE) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6)
2. Jamie Malik (RICE) def. Diogo Casa (UTSA) 6-2, 6-3
3. Yannick Junger (UTSA) def. Adam Gustafsson (RICE) 6-1, 6-3
4. Tito Moreiras (UTSA) def. Max Andrews (RICE) 6-2, 6-3
5. David Warren (RICE) def. Joel Rubio (UTSA) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-0
6. Zach Yablon (RICE) def. Mark Ginting (UTSA) 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,3,4,2,5,1)