MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — No. 40 Rice ended UTSA's season with a 4-0 victory on Friday in the quarterfinal round of this weekend's Conference USA Tournament.
The top-seeded Owls (21-7) grabbed an early lead against the Roadrunners (6-18) by claiming the doubles point.
Rice's Jake Hansen and Eric Rutledge teamed up for a 6-3 win against Fabian Brand and Igor Cantanhede at No. 2.
The Owls' 50th-ranked duo of Tommy Bennett and David Warren then clinched the 1-0 advantage with a 6-4 triumph over Christian Carrillo and Juri Reckow at the top of the lineup.
UTSA's Leon Hein and Takeru Watanabe were deadlocked at 4-4 with Henrik Munch and Daniel Warren at the third spot when doubles play was halted.
Rice increased its lead to 2-0 when Bennett posted a 6-1, 6-1 win against Kai Breitbach at No. 2 singles.
Malik made it 3-0 when he downed Reckow, 6-1, 7-6 (1) on center court.
Cantanhede won his first set against Hansen at No. 4 by a 7-6 (8-6) count, while Watanabe rallied from a 6-1 setback in his opening frame against David Warren with a 6-3 win in the second set at the third position to give UTSA light.
However, Rice secured a spot in the semifinal round with a 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 win by Emanuel Llamas against Gabriel Borunda at No. 6.
#40 Rice 4, UTSA 0
Doubles
1. #50 Bennett/Dav. Warren (RICE) def. Carrillo/Reckow (UTSA) 6-4
2. Hansen/Rutledge (RICE) def. Brand/Cantanhede (UTSA) 6-3
3. Hein/Watanabe (UTSA) vs. Munch/Dan. Warren (RICE) 4-4, unfinished
Singles
1. Jamie Malik (RICE) def. Juri Reckow (UTSA) 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
2. Tommy Bennett (RICE) def. Kai Breitbach (UTSA) 6-1, 6-1
3. David Warren (RICE) vs. Takeru Watanabe (UTSA) 6-1, 3-6, 1-0, unfinished
4. Igor Cantanhede (UTSA) vs. Jake Hansen (RICE) 7-6 (8-6), 0-4, unfinished
5. Eric Rutledge (RICE) vs. Christian Carrillo (UTSA) 7-6 (7-5), 3-4, unfinished
6. Emanuel Llamas (RICE) def. Gabriel Borunda (UTSA) 7-6 (7-2), 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (2,1,6)
