Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Host No. 2 Baylor In Finale
April 17, 2015 | Men's Tennis
Francisco Zambon, who is coming off the biggest win in his career, will look to lead the Red Raiders past No. 2 Baylor on Saturday.
April 17, 2015
LUBBOCK, Texas -- One certainly knows that the Big 12 is the toughest men's tennis conference in the country, when a team had conference matches six days apart against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country.
No. 16 Texas Tech (18-6, 2-2 Big 12) hosts No. 2 Baylor (19-4, 3-1 Big 12) in the regular-season finale for both school on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the McLeod Tennis Center.
"It really is not about us versus Baylor," said 23rd-year head coach Tim Siegel. "Just like in the Oklahoma match, it is about each player against their opponent and we have to be tougher."
A win for the Red Raiders will lock up a second place showing the Big 12 and the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Championships slated for next week in Waco. A loss would drop the Red Raiders into a tie for fourth in the Big 12.
Last weekend, Texas Tech was helped by the fan support in attendance, as the Red Raiders averaged 776 fans per match. The Red Raiders had a season-high 832 last Friday against Oklahoma State and 719 against Oklahoma on Sunday.
"I cannot say enough about our fans," added Siegel. "We had over 700 and 800 at our two matches last week. They really get into it. Our players have fed off the energy. I don't know if we are in the position we are in without them."
This season has been a steady climb for the Red Raiders, who started the season at No. 41, before climbing 25 spots into the magic top 16. The No. 16 ranking is the highest for Texas Tech since 2011, when the Red Raiders reach No. 14.
But for Texas Tech, the goal is to be ranked in the Top 16 as the regular season concludes and earn one of the coveted 16 host locations for the NCAA Championships first and second rounds. The Red Raiders have not hosted the first and second round since 2005. The Red Raiders are also two wins away from becoming only the fifth Texas Tech team in the last 40 years to win 20 matches in a season.
After starting the season 11-2, the Red Raiders have closed out the season 7-4, including nine matches against teams ranked in the ITA Top 36.
The Red Raiders, who played 67 percent of their matches on the road this season, have quietly gone 7-0 at home this season. A win over Baylor would mark just the second time in program history that Texas Tech has gone undefeated at home. The only other time came in 2012, when the Red Raiders were 8-0 at home thanks to the school's first-ever sweep of the Texas Trio -- Texas and Texas A&M at McLeod and Baylor in Waco.
For senior Francisco Zambon, Saturday will be the last home match for the Brazilian native who has spent the last four years on the South Plains.
"I love playing at home. The fans here are Texas Tech are the best in the nation," said Zambon. "I really feel their support, but not just for me but for all of us. When you are out there, you are not just playing for yourself, you are playing for your teammates, your coaches and the fans."
Leading the way for Texas Tech is No. 33 junior Felipe Soares, who has anchored the top spot in the lineup. Soares, who is 20-12 on the season, is two wins away from cracking into the Red Raider All-Time Wins list at No. 20.
But Soares is one of just three ranked players on the Red Raider roster, joining No. 106 sophomore Jolan Cailleau and No. 113 freshman Alex Sendegeya. Cailleau has a team best 24-9 record and a 17-4 mark in duals. Sendegeya, a freshman mid-season enrollee, is 19-7 and the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week after topping a pair of ranked opponents last week.
Junior Hugo Dojas has been a stalwart at No. 2 and has compiled a 16-8 mark this season, while Zambon (13-13) and Connor Curry (10-15) have fortified the bottom of the order.
The Bears' lineup features four ranked players -- No. 2 Julian Lenz (22-6), No. 30 Tony Lupieri (16-9), No. 67 Maxime Tchoutakian (15-7) and No. 112 Mata Zsiga (11-3). Doubles could be the deciding point and Baylor has had a lot of success in doubles this season. The Bears are 21-1 in doubles this season. The lone doubles loss came against No. 1 Oklahoma on March 22.
The Bears have two ranked tandems in No. 25 Lenz and Galeano and No. 58 Zsiga and Lupieri. The Red Raiders count with just one ranked squad in No. 16 Soars and Dojas.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
No. 2 Baylor (19-4) at No. 16 Texas Tech (18-6)
| BAYLOR | TEXAS TECH | ||
| 1. | #2 Julian Lenz (22-6) | vs. | #33 Felipe Soares (20-12) |
| 2. | #30 Tony Lupieri (16-9) | vs. | Hugo Dojas (16-8) |
| 3. | #67 Max Tchoutakian (15-7) | vs. | #113 Alex Sendegeya (19-7) |
| 4. | Diego Galeano (12-9) | vs. | #106 Jolan Cailleau (24-9) |
| 5. | #112 Mate Zsiga (11-3) | vs. | Franciso Zambon (13-13) |
| 6. | Felipe Rios (24-6) | vs. | Connor Curry (10-15) |
| BAYLOR | TEXAS TECH | ||
| 1. | #25 Julian Lenz (16-1) | vs. | #16 Felipe Soares (14-6) |
| Diego Galeano | Hugo Dojas | ||
| 2. | #58 Mate Zsiga (5-5) | vs. | Jolan Cailleau (3-6) |
| Tony Lupieri | Alex Sendegeya | ||
| 3. | Vince Schneider (18-3) | vs. | Francisco Zambon (6-5) |
| Felipe Rios | Connor Curry |
Players Mentioned
