Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
UC Irvine
Red Raiders Win Tournament In Arizona
January 19, 2015 | Men's Tennis
Senior Francisco Zambon helped secure a pair of points to lead Texas Tech to a 5-1 finish and the tournament title at the Arizona Kickoff Weekend.
January 19, 2015
TUCSON, Ariz. - It took two players who have been a part of Red Raider Tennis for about a week to understand what "team tennis" is all about.
Midseason enrollees Victor Cornea and Alex Sendegeya joined the team last week and secured the victory for No. 41 Texas Tech over Arizona, 4-3, on Monday evening at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center to capture the Arizona Kickoff Weekend crown.
Cornea and Sendegeya accounted for three of the four points for Texas Tech in the final match.
"What can I say? Our team improved so much over the last four days," said Tim Siegel, who is in his 23rd season as head coach of the Red Raiders. "From where we were in that first match against New Mexico to where we are now … our kids grew up a lot. Six matches in four days is grueling both mentally and physically. It takes a lot of emotion."
The tandem of Cornea and Sendegeya toppled Arizona's Shoki Kasahara and Naoki Takeda, 10-7, in a super-tiebreaker to secure the fourth and final point and give the Red Raiders the victory of Arizona and the overall tournament title. No. 61 New Mexico finished second at 4-2.
"This Arizona team came to play, but it was a situation where our guys didn't give up," said Siegel. "Felipe (Soares) was in just a battle. Hugo stepped up all week and the two newcomers got better each day. We are so solid in the middle of the lineup."
The day against Arizona started with Cornea and Sendegeya picking up the first two points of the match for the Red Raiders, as Cornea won at No. 3 and Sendegeya at No. 4.
Dojas suffered his first loss of the tournament, as the Wildcats' Sumeet Shinde topped the Brazillian Red Raider, 6-2, 7-6. Senior Francisco Zambon gave Texas Tech a 3-1 lead with two matches still on, when he came back from a bagel to top Trevor James, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Jolan Cailleau and Felipe Soares lost marathon battles to tie the score at 3-3, marking the first time during any of the matches that the event was extended to doubles.
Connor Curry teamed with Zambon to secure the first win of the best of three doubles for the match's final point. Then the Sendegeya-Cornea heroics ensued.
The day started with a swift 4-0 win over UC-Irvine, as Soares, Cornea, Senegeya and Zambon picked up singles wins against the Anteaters.
It was a very successful event for the Red Raiders, who improved to 5-1 on the season. Individually in singles the Red Raiders had success - Soares (3-3), Dojas (4-1), Cornea (4-1), Sendegeya (4-2), Cailleau (3-2), Zambon (2-1) and Curry (1-1).
"I think this can give us the momentum boost we need as we head to California," said Siegel.
The Red Raiders are in the midst of a 10-match road trip to start the season.
Texas Tech will face No. 33 Boise State on Friday in Los Angeles in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The Red Raiders will face either No. 4 UCLA or No. 53 Pepperdine in the second round on Saturday. Pepperdine is coached by former Red Raider associate head coach Marcelo Ferreira. The winner of the four-team event will be one of 16 invitees to the ITA National Indoor Championships.
ARIZONA KICKOFF WEEKEND INVITATIONAL
Tucson, Ariz. (LaNelle Robson Tennis Center)
#41 Texas Tech 4, UC Irvine 0
Singles
1. #28 Felipe Soares (TT) def. Nico Mertens (UCI) 6-2, 7-5
2. Sebastian Heim (UCI) vs. Hugo Dojas (TT) 2-0, unfinished
3. Victor Cornea (TT) def. Tyler Pham (UCI) 6-2, 6-0
4. Alex Sendegeya (TT) def. Shuhei Shibahara (UCI) 7-5, 6-1
5. Jonathan Hammel (UCI) vs. Jolan Caileau (TT) 3-6, 6-4, 2-3, unfinished
6. Francisco Zambron (TT) def. Justin Agbayani (UCI) 6-0, 6-1
Records: #41 Texas Tech 4-1; UC-Irvine 2-3
Order of finish: Doubles (-); Singles (3,6,1,4)
#41 Texas Tech 4, Arizona 3
Singles
1. Naoki Takeda (UofA) def. #28 Felipe Soares (TT) 6-2, 5-7, 7-6
2. Sumeet Shinde (UofA) def. Hugo Dojas (TT) 6-2, 7-6
3. Victor Cornea (TT) def. Jason Jaruvang (UofA) 6-4, 6-2
4. Alex Sendegeya (TT) def. David Mushayev (UofA) 6-4, 7-5
5. Shoki Kasahara (UofA) def. Jolan Caileau (TT) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
6. Francisco Zambron (TT) def. Trevor James (UofA) 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
1. Sumeet Shinde / David Mushayev (UofA) vs. Hugo Dojas / Felipe Soares (TT) 1-5, unfinished
2. Alex Sendegeya / Victor Cornea (TT) def. Shoki Kasahara / Naoki Takeda (UofA) 10-7
3. Connor Curry / Francisco Zambron (TT) def. Jason Jaruvang / Matt Dunn (UofA) 10-8
Records: #41 Texas Tech 5-1; Arizona 1-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,4,2,6,5,1)
Players Mentioned
