Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Look For Second Blue Gray Title
February 19, 2015 | Men's Tennis
Texas Tech's Felipe Soares will pace the Red Raiders at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Ala.
February 19, 2015
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The last time the Red Raiders started the season with 10 wins in its first 12 matches, they climbed as high as No. 13 in the nation.
That was 2010. The Red Raiders started the season a remarkable 17-1 and during a remarkable 15-match winning streak, Texas Tech won three straight and captured the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic title.
Fast forward to 2015 and Texas Tech is 10-2 on the season and winners of four straight as they embark on another title run at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic at the Lagoon Park Tennis Center. The Red Raiders will face Auburn at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.
The Red Raiders have a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup with No. 35 Felipe Soares at No. 1 and No. 111 Hugo Dojas at No. 2. Soares (13-7) has five ranked wins this season, including a pair of Top 25 victories. Dojas (10-3) has been as equally impressive, going 7-1 in dual matches.
The former No. 1 junior in Great Britain, Alex Sendegeya, holds down the third spot, while No. 125 Jolan Cailleau is slotted fourth. Sendegeya (9-6) has overcome some early season losses to win eight of his last 10. Cailleau (14-8) has also come on of late, winning five of his last six matches.
Senior Francisco Zambon (8-7) will secure the fifth spot in the rotation, while Connor Curry is earmarked for the sixth spot. Zambon is 7-3 in dual match play this spring. Curry, a freshman from Wichita Falls, is 2-2 in dual matches.
The doubles are led by the No. 22 tandem of Dojas and Soares, who have secured the No. 1 spot. The pair of Brazilians are an amazing 12-2 on the season. The tandem have won five straight heading into the Blue Gray.
After switching the doubles lineup a bit, it appears that Zambon and Cailleau are slotted at No. 2. The pair are 1-1 since the switch. Curry and Sendegeya will fall in line at No. 3. The pair are 1-0 as a tandem.
The Blue Gray National Tennis Classic field includes No. 24 South Florida, No. 30 Mississippi State, No. 35 Auburn, No. 35 Clemson, No. 28 Texas Tech, No. 49 Alabama, No. 50 Princeton and No. 57 Boise State. The Red Raiders already have wins over No. 30 Mississippi State (4-2) and No. 57 Boise State (4-0) this season.
The Red Raiders will face either South Florida or Boise State on Saturday. If the bracket holds true and Texas Tech advances to the final, it could be a rematch with Mississippi State in the final.
But before that happens, the Red Raiders have to take on Auburn (9-1) in the quarterfinals. The Red Raiders have faced nine teams currently ranked in the ITA Top 75, while Auburn has faced four.
Players Mentioned
