The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
SMU
No. 9 Men’s Tennis preview: at SMU [Jan. 31, 2015]
01.30.2015 | Men's Tennis
Ninth-ranked Longhorns visit SMU on Saturday in Dallas.
MATCH INFORMATION
Match 5: #9 Texas (4-0) at SMU (4-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 31 • 4 p.m. Central
Site: Dallas, Texas • SMU Tennis Complex (5669 N Central Expy)
Live Coverage: Stats • @TexasMTN
NOTES
• Fresh off qualifying for the ITA National Indoor Championships, ninth-ranked Texas returns to action against SMU on Saturday in Dallas.
• MEE RETURNING HOME: Saturday's match will serve as a homecoming for freshman John Mee, whose hometown of Highland Park is adjacent to SMU's campus. Mee, 11-6 on the year, is coming off two consecutive victories last week against Minnesota and Florida State at No. 6 singles. Mee attended Spring Creek Academy and was the second-ranked recruit in the state of Texas when he signed with UT.
• TRIO OF UNDEFEATED LONGHORNS: Søren Hess-Olesen (4-0), Adrien Berkowicz (4-0) and Nick Naumann (4-0) are undefeated in dual match play this season. Hess-Olesen is a two-time All-American and enters the weekend with six consecutive victories and a 14-2 overall record. Berkowicz leads the team in total singles wins (16-6), including five over ranked opponents. Naumann, the reigning Big 12 regular season champion at No. 5 singles, has won eight of his last nine matches.
• STRONG SINGLES: Texas holds a 16-6 (.727) record in singles competition during dual match play. The Longhorns have at least four singles wins in each dual match this season.
• LAST TIME OUT: Texas hosted the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Weller Indoor Tennis Center on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25. The Longhorns defeated Minnesota, 4-1, and defeated Florida State, 4-3, to advance to the National Indoors in Chicago (Feb. 13-16). Nick Naumann clinched the match against the Seminoles with a three-set victory at No. 4 singles.
• RANKINGS: The Longhorns have been ranked No. 9 in all three ITA Rankings releases this season. Texas has been ranked in the top-10 in 15 of the last 16 polls dating back to last season. Two student-athletes -- No. 13 Søren Hess-Olesen and No. 48 Adrien Berkowicz -- represent Texas in the singles rankings.
• ALL-AMERICANS: The Longhorns return a pair of ITA All-Americans this season -- seniors Søren Hess-Olesen and Lloyd Glasspool. Hess-Olesen, a 2014 NCAA Singles Championship semifinalist, has earned All-American honors in singles twice (2013, 2014). Glasspool and Hess-Olesen earned doubles All-American honors last season as quarterfinalists in the NCAA Doubles Championship.
• RECAPPING LAST SEASON: The Longhorns (23-6, 4-1 Big 12) returned to top-10 form during the 2013-14 season by winning a share of the Big 12 regular season title, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship and finishing the season with a No. 8 ranking. UT's Big 12 title was the fourth under Coach Michael Center and the first since 2010. Texas held a perfect 13-0 record on its home court during the final season of Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
• COACH CENTER: Head Coach Michael Center is in his 15th season at Texas (288-102; .735) and his 24th overall as a head coach (446-170; .722).
• NEXT MATCHES: UT's final tune-up before National Indoors will be a pair of home matches at the Weller Indoor Tennis Center against No. 62 Washington (Feb. 6) and No. 75 Rice (Feb. 8).
PROJECTED LINEUP (unofficial; based on previous matches)
Singles
1. #13 Søren Hess-Olesen vs. Arturs Kazijevs (SMU)
2. #48 Adrien Berkowicz vs. Markus Kerner (SMU)
3. Lloyd Glasspool vs. Samm Butler (SMU)
4. Nick Naumann vs. Nate Lammons (SMU)
5. Michael Riechmann vs. Arkadijs Slobodkins (SMU)
6. John Mee vs. Charles Nettlefold (SMU)
Doubles
1. #51 Lloyd Glasspool/Soren Hess-Olesen vs. Arturs Kazijevs/Markus Kerner (SMU)
2. Adrian Ortiz-Ruiz/Michael Riechmann vs. Nate Lammons/Arkadijs Slobodkins (SMU)
3. Adrien Berkowicz/John Mee vs. Samm Butler/Tony Russell (SMU)
IN THE RANKINGS
Team
9. TEXAS
Singles
13. Søren Hess-Olesen
48. Adrien Berkowicz
Doubles
51. Lloyd Glasspool / Søren Hess-Olesen
Players Mentioned
