March 27, 2010
|  |
| Singles | | Campbell
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| #1 | 6-2, 6-2 | Bucko | Strahl
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| #2 | 6-0, 6-0
| Rux
| | Hawk |
| #3 | 6-2, 6-3 | Bley
| | Joiner |
| #4 | 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (2) | Horny
| | Proctor |
| #5 | 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (2) | Ramirez
| | Hope |
| #6 | 7-6(4), 6-4 | Gordon |
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| Doubles | | | Hawk/Strahl |
| #1 | 8-7(7) | Rux/Bucko | | Campbell/Proctor |
| #2 | 8-6 | Bley/Horny | | Hope/Joiner |
| #3 | 8-3 | Lukacs/Maytin |
|
|
|
|
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|  |
| Singles | | | Boone | | #1 | 6-1, 6-2 | Lukacs | | Powers | | #2 | 6-0, 7-5 | Maytin | | Raiti |
| #3 | 6-2, 7-5 | Mueller | | Walter | | #4 | 6-1, 6-3
| Bley | | Lancaster | | #5 | 6-1, 6-2 | Horny
| | Wiggins |
| #6 | 6-4, 6-3
| Ramirez |
| Doubles | | | Boone/Powers |
| #1 | 8-1 | Rux/Bucko | | Wiggins/Raiti |
| #2 | 8-2 | Bley/Horny
| | Walter/Lancaster | | #3 | 8-0 | Lukacs/Maytin |
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WACO, Texas- The eighth-ranked men's tennis team improved to 36-1 in Matt Knoll's tenure on days when it plays more than one match by blanking both Abilene Christian and St. Edward's, 7-0, on Saturday at the Baylor Tennis Center.
"After the loss to Virginia, it was good to get back in the win column," head coach Matt Knoll said. "We had a couple guys that had a bad taste in their mouth after that match, so it was great to just come out and get some momentum heading into a really tough match in Palo Alto. Hopefully, having some positive results will help us with what is coming up."
Overall, Baylor is now 15-3 on the season, while the Bears pushed their home win streak to 18 matches. In today's two matches, Baylor won all six doubles matches and lost only two sets in 12 singles matches.
With the two shutouts, the Bears have now blanked 10 opponents on the season matching their total from all of last season.
In the matches, Knoll shuffled his doubles lineup from the previous match at Virginia. He used the pairing of Julian Bley and Maros Horny, who had not partnered together this spring. Knoll also placed Attila Bucko and Jordan Rux back together after the two had lost their lone previous match together earlier this spring. At the third spot, Knoll kept the pairing of Denes Lukacs and Roberto Maytin intact.
"We were able to play some different doubles combinations, which I thought went well," Knoll said. "I thought in the early match you could see that there was a little uncertainty, but this evening I thought they were way better and I feel that is something we can build on."
Abilene Christian Match
The Bears struggled out of the gate versus the Wildcats as the No. 1 doubles team of Bucko and Rux fell behind Luke Hawk and John Strahl 5-0 before roaring back to square the match at five. The match then seesawed back and forth, but the Baylor tandem would win it in a tie-breaker 8-7 (9-7).
"They shouldn't have won," Knoll said. "They came out flat. I told the guys before the match that Abilene Christian was going to be well prepared and well coached in doubles and they were, so we weren't surprised by that. We were just flat. Abilene Christian did a great job getting out to a lead and executing."
However, while that match was still on the court the Bears clinched the doubles point with wins at the second and third spots. It was the first time since a March 13 win at No. 24 Pepperdine that the Bears had claimed the doubles point.
In singles, 28th-ranked Rux was the first one off the court with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Strahl. Rux improved to 12-2 and did not play in singles in the second match.
"Jordan did not lose a game, so that is pretty hard to do," Knoll said. "I thought he did a nice job of staying focused from beginning to end. He didn't really give the guy any cracks. It is absolutely not easy to do that, so I thought that was a good performance."
As for the rest of the Bears, Attila Bucko playing at the No. 1 spot for the first time this season was dominate, rolling to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Eldad Campbell. Bucko is now 12-2 in dual match play and has won four straight. He also did not play singles in the second match. Bley would then clinch the match for the Bears as he took down Hawk, 6-2, 6-3.
With the match in hand Horny got past Bryan Joiner in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-2), Chris Gordon beat Jared Hope 7-6(4), 6-4 and Sergio Ramirez took out Brett Proctor 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-2). For Gordon it was his second match and second win in the dual season and for Ramirez it was his first singles match since Feb. 21 against Prairie View A&M.
The Wildcats fall to 11-7 on the year, while Baylor improves to 7-3 against ACU all-time.
St. Edward's Match
In the second match of the day, the Bears controlled the action, winning all three doubles matches with ease. Knoll went with the same pairings from the first match and it paid dividends as Lukacs and Maytin took apart Mick Walter and Bernard Lancaster at the third spot, 8-0. Bley and Horny followed suit at two with an 8-2 win over Ryan Wiggins and Justin Raiti. Bucko and Rux had the biggest improvement as they cruised past Ned Boone and Brett Powers, 8-1.
"We came out tonight and played way better," Knoll said of his doubles pairings.
In singles, Baylor took every match in straight sets. Seniors Lukacs and Mueller and freshman Maytin all returned to the singles lineup, after sitting out the first match to earn victories. Bley, Horny and Ramirez all earned their second victory of the day.
"This evening Roberto was particularly good," Knoll said. "We really had a lot of good performances across the team and I thought we played way better, so we feel good about the way we closed it out."
With the loss St. Edward's is now 6-9 on the year. Baylor improves to 14-1 versus the Hilltoppers all-time and 3-0 under Knoll.
The Bears will now travel to Palo Alto, Calif. to battle No. 15 Stanford in the fourth installment of the HP Cup series on Tuesday, March 30. Baylor has won the first three matches of the series and holds a perfect 9-0 all-time record over the storied Cardinal program. The match is slated to begin at 3 p.m. (PT).
Other Notes: Baylor is now 4-0 this season in doubleheader matches. Baylor is 245-66 in non-conference play under Knoll. The Bears have won 34 out of their last 36 matches in Waco.
