May 09, 2008

SEASON ENDS AT NCAA REGIONAL FOR MEN'S TENNIS

AUSTIN – The No. 7 Texas Longhorns snapped Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's 10-match winning streak with a 4-0 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ending the season for the Islanders.

Their trip to the national tournament marked the second-consecutive season in which the Islanders represented the Southland Conference and made their third appearance in the past four seasons.

The two teams went back and fourth in the doubles competition, but Texas cruised through singles play, winning the final three points in straight sets. "The team we just played has a legitimate chance to win the NCAA Championship this year," director of tennis Steve Moore said. "They are so deep from two through six, maybe even the best in the country in those spots."

In doubles play, Jose Zunino and Jaume Farras, playing at the No. 3 position, went up 1-0 and eventually tied the match at two, but Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh Zavala went on to win the next six games to win 8-2.

At the No. 1 doubles, Mike Pavlov and Dmitry Novikov were up 6-4 and 40-15, but Luis Diaz Barriaga and Miguel Reyes Varela came back to win the game and went on to win three-straight games to take a 7-6 lead. The Islanders would tie the match at seven games each, but Varela and Barriaga won the final two games to win the doubles competition.

"The momentum in the doubles point really made a difference," Moore said. "We were up 6-4 about to go up 7-4 and just couldn't close it out. In the other match, Laurent (Montoisy) and James (Langford) were coming on strong and about to tie up their match."

Already up 1-0, Texas won the first set in all six matches in straight-sets. Pavlov, playing at the No. 3 position, went up 1-0 in his match and exchanged points with Ed Corrie before falling 6-4 in the first. He would go up 1-0 in the second set before falling behind 5-4. Pavlov managed to tie the match at five, but was pulled from the court once the match was clinched.

At the No. 2 position, Novikov lost the first set 6-2 and fell behind 5-2 before tying the set at five games each. He was pulled from the court before his match was finished as well.

Barriaga made it 2-0 in favor of Texas when he took a 6-3, 6-2 win over Farras, while Milan Mihailovic quickly made it 3-0 when he defeated Zunino 6-2, 6-0. Varela clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-0 win over James Langford.

The Islanders finished the 2008 season with a 15-8 record, including their second-consecutive undefeated season in Southland Conference play. A&M-Corpus Christi has won 18 consecutive matches over a SLC opponent and has captured the league crown for the third time in four seasons.

"I am proud beyond words of the season these young guys had. We get them all back next year," Moore said. "Hopefully we will be fortunate enough to be back in the NCAA's next year."