After dropping a match to then-No. 1 Ohio State less than two weeks ago, No. 10 Texas A&M men’s tennis has been on a rampage at Mitchell Tennis Center, securing three consecutive conference victories, the latest coming in the form of a 4-1 takedown over Tennessee on Sunday, March 29.
Consistency was the difference-maker, as A&M remained composed, forcing Tennessee into a hole it couldn’t seem to crawl out of.
Doubles play kicked off on Court 1 as sophomore Theo Papamalamis switched out his familiar partner of senior Togan Tokac for freshman Kriish Tyagi. The unfamiliar dynamic didn’t hold the pair back, though, as it persevered, taking down the sophomore duo of Jose Garcia and Jan Kobierski in a quick 6-2 fashion.
That dominance carried over to Court 2, where the Aggies secured the doubles point, as the No. 40 pairing of sophomore Alex Frusina and junior Kholo Montsi faced freshman Shion Itsusaki and senior Alejandro Moreno. The experienced duo made quick work of the Volunteers, securing the set, 6-1.
The final doubles match between A&M’s duo of freshman Markus Molder and junior Lathan Skrobarcek and Tennessee’s redshirt freshman Woodson McMillin and sophomore Piotr Siekanowicz was left unfinished, 5-4.
Following doubles play, singles began on Court 3, where No. 68 Frusina faced Kobierski. Unfortunately for Kobierski, a 6-2 second-set loss was the best performance he mustered, as he fell to the Conroe native in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.
After three consecutive dropped matches from the Volunteers, they knew they needed to stop the bleeding. It was none other than Itsusaki who stepped in for damage control, securing Tennessee’s sole point of the day. The Osaka, Japan native bested Tyagi in straight sets on Court 5, 6-3, 6-3, but the effort only went so far.
Itsusaki’s victory wasn’t enough to spark a Tennessee comeback, as Court 6 told a tale similar to the rest of the day. Skrobarcek faced senior Ethan Muza, neither going down without a fight. In a last-ditch effort to make a late run for the Volunteers, Muza sent the match to a tiebreaker. However, hope of a Tennessee comeback was too little, too late, as Skrobarcek prevailed, taking the victory, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
While Skrobarcek’s win gave the Aggies a comfortable lead, ultimately, it was none other than No. 30 Papamalamis who put the nail in the orange coffin. Shortly after Skrobarcek’s heroics, the Lessy, France native went on to clinch the Aggie win on Court 1 in a 6-4, 6-3 victory over No. 106 Garcia.
Two matches were left unfinished in singles play between No. 51 Montsi versus No. 114 Moreno, 7-5, 3-5, and Molder versus senior Boruch Skierkier, 7-6 (5), 5-4, as the Aggies’ came out victorious, marking their second consecutive matchup holding their opponent to only one point.
After a four-game homestead, the Maroon and White will pack their bags as they travel to the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Alabama, to take on the Auburn Tigers on Thursday, April 2, starting at 2 p.m.
