March 8, 2004

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The fifth-rated TCU men's tennis squad claimed the Arizona State Quadrangle title Monday by defeating No. 18 Pepperdine 4-0 at the Whiteman Tennis Center in Tempe. The Horned Frogs' 11-0 record ties the school record for the best start with the 1981 team. The Waves dropped to 8-5 with the loss. Out of 16 tries, the Horned Frogs have beat Pepperdine on only four occasions.

"The match was a lot closer and more competitive than the scored showed," Pepperdine head coach Adam Steinberg said. "It (the match) was stopped after TCU reached four points...but I'm pretty confident we would have won some points, had it continued. Either way, it was a great experience for our team."

After losing the doubles point for the first time yesterday to No. 28 Washington, the Horned Frogs grinded out a couple of wins at Nos. 2 and 3 for the early 1-0 lead. Jacob Martin and Alex Menichini improved to 10-0 on the season at three doubles by defeating Kevin Borzenski and Richard Johnson, 8-2. TCU's Hector Almada and Jacopo Tezza upset the 16th-ranked duo of Scott Doerner and Alexandre Herrera at two by an 8-5 count. The No. 1 spot belonged to the Waves' Calle Hansen and Pedro Rico, who are ranked No. 11. They defeated TCU's 10th-rated tandem of Rafael Abreu and Fabrizio Sestini, 8-4.

Tezza provided TCU's first victory in singles by downing Doerner at the No. 4 slot by scores of 6-4, 6-3. Herrera fell to Sestini in staight sets, 7-6, 6-4, for his seventh win in a row. The clincher was provided by the Horned Frogs' Martin at six singles, where he needed three sets overcome Johnson, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

#5 TCU (11-0) 4, #18 Pepperdine (8-5) 0
SINGLES
1. #22 Alex Menichini (TCU) vs. #38 Pedro Rico (PU) DNF
2. Hector Almada (TCU) vs. #82 Calle Hansen (PU) DNF
3. Fabrizio Sestini (TCU) def. Alexandre Herrera (PU) 7-6, 6-4
4. Jacopo Tezza (TCU) def. Scott Doerner (PU) 6-4, 6-3
5. Rafael Abreu (TCU) vs. Alexis Rafidison (PU) DNF
6. Jacob Martin (TCU) def. Richard Johnson (PU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2

Order of Finish: 4, 3, 6*

DOUBLES
1. #11 Hansen/Rico (PU) def. #10 Abreu/Sestini (TCU) 8-4
2. Almada/Tezza (TCU) def. #16 Doerner/Herrera (PU) 8-5
3. Martin/Menichini (TCU) def. Kevin Borzenski/Johnson (PU) 8-2

Order of Finish: 3, 2*, 1

* Clinching point