Box Score DALLAS – The No. 19 Blue Raiders earned their sixth ranked win on the season, defeating No. 42 SMU (10-5) by a score of 4-3 on Friday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Center.
"It was tough conditions today with winds around 18-19 miles per hour and SMU brought the crowd, they were a rowdy bunch. Our team keeps fighting and scrapping to find a way to win," Head Coach
Jimmy Borendame said. "I am proud of this team. The scary part is that we can get better and we will." Borendame said.
With the win, Middle Tennessee (19-3, 1-0) has now won 13-straight matches since Feb. 6. The Blue Raiders move to 5-1 on the season in road matches, two of those wins being ranked opponents.
Middle Tennessee dropped the doubles point against SMU and have now lost three doubles points in their last five matches. Prior to this cold streak, the Blue Raiders won 14-of-16 (.875) to open the season.
To begin singles competition, Freshman
Oskar Brostrom Poulsen took down Pranav Kumar on court No. 5 at 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 to equalize the match at one.
SMU would re-take the lead, defeating No. 101
Chris Edge on court No. 3 at 7-6, 6-3. Edge moves to 17-4 on the season and out of his four losses on the season, three of those have been in straight sets.
No. 115
Stijn Slump tied the match at two defeating Adam Neff on the top court in three sets at 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. Stijn has now won six-straight singles matches on court Nos. 1 and 2.
Pavel Motl fell to Louis Cloud on court No. 6 to give the Mustangs a 3-2 lead. With the defeat, Motl has his win streak snapped at six.
For the third tie of the match, No. 69
Francisco Rocha took down Liam Krall after dropping the first set, his finished the match in dominant fashion at 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The Porto, Portugal native extends his win streak to 11-straight wins. Rocha finished his match as teammate
Stepan Holis was deep into the second set.
Minutes later, Holis would clinch the match in MT's favor, defeating Ivan Thamma in straight sets at 7-5, 6-3. Holis moves to 12-6 on the season, eight-straight singles wins, and came in clutch picking up his third clinching match point on the season.
Next Up
The Blue Raiders will use tonight as a travel night in order to play Conference USA foe Rice on Sunday in Houston. Middle Tennessee hasn't lost a match to a C-USA opponent since 2019. Sunday's match is MT's first match since a conference opponent since the season opener against Southern Mississippi, the Blue Raiders swept the Golden Eagles 7-0 in Murfreesboro.
Singles competition
1. SLUMP, Stijn (MTSU) def. Adam Neff (SMU) 6-4, 6-7, 6-3
2. ROCHA, Francisco (MTSU) def. Liam Krall (SMU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. Caleb Chakravarthi (SMU) def. EDGE, Chris (MTSU) 7-6, 6-1
4. HOLIS, Stepan (MTSU) def. Ivan Thamma (SMU) 7-5, 6-3
5. POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) def. Pranav Kumar (SMU) 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
6. Louis Cloud (SMU) def. MOTL, Pavel (MTSU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Order of finish: (5,3,1,6,2,4)
Doubles competition
1. Adam Neff/Ivan Thamma (SMU) def. ROCHA, Francisco/POULSEN, Oskar (MTSU) 6-3
2. SLUMP, Stijn/MOTL, Pavel (MTSU) vs. Pranav Kumar/Liam Krall (SMU) 5-3, unfinished.
3. Julian Steinhausen/Huntley Allen (SMU) def. HOLIS, Stepan/EDGE, Chris (MTSU) 6-3
Order of finish: (3,1)
