SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA men’s tennis team (3-2) returns to the Lone Star State for a solo match at home this week, hosting Texas Tech (4-3) at the UTSA Tennis Center at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, to kick off a three-match homestand for the Roadrunners.
Keeping up with the action
New this season, UTSA Athletics will have live video available during Friday’s matchup with the Red Raiders. In addition, fans can follow the action live from the UTSA Tennis Center via UTSA Athletics’ live results.
About the Roadrunners
Since opening at 14th-ranked Texas A&M, the Roadrunners have won three of their last four outings in the first season under head coach Sasha Gozun. Defeating UT Rio Grande Valley and UT Arlington, UTSA made it three straight with a neutral-site win in Eugene, Oregon over a solid Denver squad. However, the Roadrunners couldn’t keep the streak alive, falling to host Oregon last Sunday at the UO Student Tennis Center. UTSA features one pair in the doubles national ITA rankings, as Miguel Alonso and Tiago Torres come in at 53rd in the national standings and the pair are 1-0 through the early spring season. Leading the Roadrunners in singles play are newcomer Oskar Grzegorzewski on court three and senior Danijal Muminovic on two, both sporting a 3-1 record in singles action. Friday’s matchup with Texas Tech will be the second match at home this season.
About the Texas Tech Red Raiders
In the second season with Michael Breler as head coach, the Red Raiders are at 4-3 early into the second month of action, earning victories over Eastern Illinois, UT Rio Grande Valley and Wichita State. Counter to the Roadrunners, Texas Tech has played the majority of matches at home, while they are 1-2 away on the road or neutral courts. Last season, the Red Raiders went 9-15 overall.
Coming off a 4-3 grinder in Wichita, Texas Tech has a very young roster, led by sophomore Niksa Arsic and midyear freshman Thiago Guglieri – both at a 4-3 record, while midyear freshman Ludovico Vaccari is 4-2. The clear doubles leaders are seniors Sebastian Abboud and Piotr Pawlak on the top flight, boasting a 6-1 record. The pair reached as high as No. 24 in doubles last season and were the seventh-ranked pair to open the fall.
Series Info
The Roadrunners and Red Raiders have an extensive series since the first meeting in 1983, but Texas Tech holds a commanding 18-1 overall record. Meeting last February, TTU emerged with a 4-1 win in Lubbock in the most recent outing. While they have played at neutral sites, this will be the first meeting in the 19-match series to be played in San Antonio. The Roadrunners’ lone victory in the series came on April 5, 1987, UTSA coming away with an 8-1 victory in Lubbock.
Up Next
Rounding out the three-match homestand, the Roadrunners will host American Athletic Conference foes Florida Atlantic and Wichita State in non-conference action, hosting the Owls on Friday, Feb. 21, and then the Shockers on Sunday, Feb. 23, with both matches at the UTSA Tennis Center.
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