May 25, 2005
WACO, Texas - All three of Baylor's men's tennis players selected to participate in the 2005 NCAA Singles Championships won matches in the round of 64 at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas, on Wednesday. All-Americans Benedikt Dorsch and Benjamin Becker and freshman Lars Poerschke have now advanced to the round of 32 of the tournament.
Dorsch, a senior and the tournament's top seed, raised his season record to 31-2 and posted his eighth straight win with his 6-1, 6-3 win over Penn State's Mark Barry. The Weiden, Germany, native will now face 19th-ranked Jamil Al-Agba of Southern California. Al-Agba advanced to face Dorsch after defeating 27th-ranked Nathan Thompson of Clemson, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5.
Becker, also a senior, lost the first set to William & Mary's 52nd-ranked Jeff Kader 6-4 but turned it around and whipped through the next two sets, winning by scores of 6-1, 6-4. The native of Orscholz, Germany, will now face 34th-ranked Scott Doerner of Pepperdine. The two played earlier this season with Becker posting a 6-2, 6-2 win. Doerner advanced to the round of 32 by upsetting 24th-ranked Hamid Mirzadeh of Florida, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5.
After a marathon match at No. 3 against UCLA last night, Poerschke, ranked No. 50, made quick work of 56th-ranked Roger Matalonga of Arizona, winning 6-4, 6-2. The victory raised the Buseck, Germany native's season record to 36-12. Poerschke will now take on Texas A&M's top player Jerry Makowski. Makowski, a freshman All-American currently ranked No. 14, advanced after defeating Ohio State's Devin Mullings, 6-3, 7-5.
On Thursday, Dorsch and sophomore Matija Zgaga will begin play in the 32-team doubles bracket as the No. 3 seed. They have drawn Virginia's Nick Meythaler and Rylan Rizza, ranked No. 21, as their first opponent. The Baylor tandem posted an 8-6 win over the Virginia duo on Feb. 20 in the ITA National Team Indoor Tournament.
NCAA Singles Round of 32
10 a.m. - Benjamin Becker vs. Scott Doerner (Pepeprdine)
11 a.m. - Benedikt Dorsch vs. Jamil Al-Agba (Southern California)
11:30 a.m. - Lars Poerschke vs. Jerry Makowski (Texas A&M)
NCAA Doubles Round of 32
3 p.m. - Benedikt Dorsch/Matija Zgaga vs. Nick Meythaler/Rylan Rizza (Virginia)
