No. 13 Texas A&M men’s tennis will look to defend Mitchell Tennis Center and keep its Southeastern Conference title hopes alive when it hosts No. 5 Texas next week. The Longhorns, who sit at a perfect 10-0 in conference play, can clinch the regular-season championship with a win. Meanwhile, the Aggies need a victory to stay in the race, with two matches left in the regular season.
Adding to the intensity, this marks the first meeting between the rivals as conference opponents. With both teams sitting atop the standings, the stakes are blazing in the latest chapter of this heated rivalry.
History favors the burnt orange
It has been 12 years since A&M last took down its arch rival from Austin, with the Aggies’ most recent win coming in 2013. Since then, Texas has controlled the series by winning all six meetings.
The Longhorns also lead the all-time series 14-5, taking eight of the last 10 matchups. The teams met earlier this season at the ITA Indoor Championships, resulting in a Texas, 4-1 victory.
While the 4-1 scoreline doesn’t tell the full story — this match was far more competitive than it appears on paper.
A&M came out firing in doubles, as No. 21 freshman Theo Papamalamis and Togan Tokac took down the No. 6-ranked duo of sophomore Lucas Brown and redshirt freshman Timo Legout. Texas, however, edged out the remaining two doubles matches by identical 6-4 scores, securing the doubles point and an early 1-0 lead.
Momentum continued for the Longhorns in singles action as they claimed the first two points, increasing their lead to 3-0. Senior No. 17 JC Roddick fought back to claim the first point for the Aggies. But any hopes of a comeback were short-lived as No. 124 Brown put the Aggies to bed moments later, clinching the 4-1 victory for Texas.
Adjustments
Since their loss to Texas, the Fightin’ Farmers have rebounded impressively, winning 12 of their last 15 matches, including a seven-match win streak during the stretch.
Coach Steve Denton has made key adjustments throughout the season, and they’ve paid off in a big way. On March 23, he reshuffled the doubles lineup, introducing two new pairings: senior Luke Casper and redshirt freshman Ritesh Patil as well as senior Alan Magadan and sophomore Tiago Pires. These changes have given A&M a fresh look, adding new duos that weren’t in the lineup during the previous matchup against Texas.
In singles, Denton put his trust in Magadan by giving him the nod against Arkansas a month ago. Magadan responded with an eight-match win streak, proving his reliability in high-pressure moments. Though he has dropped his last two matches, Magadan has been crucial in A&M’s push for the top of the standings.
Key players
The only Aggie doubles pair to notch a win against Texas earlier this season, Tokac and Papamalamis, will remain together. The Turkish-French tandem has built strong chemistry, compiling a 6-3 conference record with four unfinished matches. They will most likely be matched up against Brown and Legout, who will be thirsty to get revenge on the Aggie duo.
In singles play, both Tokac and Papamalamis have been perfect in SEC play. Tokac is currently riding a nine game-winning streak and hasn’t experienced a loss in over two months. Papamalamis boasts a perfect 7-0 record in SEC play and enters the match ranked No. 33 in the ITA rankings.
Possibly the biggest wildcard in this Lone Star Showdown is senior Magadan. The UTSA transfer began SEC play with a six-win streak but has dropped the last two. It will be crucial for Magadan to return to his prolific form if the Aggies are to stay in the match against a Longhorn side that features four top-58 players.
SEC Championship hopes
Only two games remain after the Longhorns and Aggies collide before the 2025 SEC Men’s Tennis Championships begin.
Texas sits comfortably atop the SEC standings, holding a two-match lead over the rest of the field. Meanwhile, A&M stands in second place, but with five teams just one game behind, its position is anything but secure.
A win for Texas would clinch its SEC championship in its debut season in the conference. With A&M being the only team that can mathematically prevent it, this latest installment of the Lone Star Showdown has all the makings of an instant classic.
