The No. 6 Aggies (14-4, 6-0 SEC) came out on top 5-2 against the Alabama Crimson Tide (15-6, 1-5 SEC) Sunday at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
The Aggies won their sixth-straight SEC match, and head coach Steve Denton feels it is important to focus on the task at hand and trusting the process in winning tennis matches.
“I’m trying to make it where they don’t even think about, they just kind of put one foot in front of the other, and try to stay in the moment as much as they can.” Denton said. “Our guys are doing a really good job of holding serve at home, winning the doubles point and getting enough guys to play well at the right time and winning a lot of first sets in singles puts a lot of pressure on our opponents. It’s a long season and there are a lot of matches to be played, the guys get tired and weary but we just have to figure out a way to keep competing throughout the season and if we do that I like our chances in a lot of these matches.”
Texas A&M built their lead on court one as senior Jordi Arconada and freshman Juan Carlos Aguilar secured a set 6-2. Senior Arthur Rinderknech and freshman Patrick Kypson also secured the set 6-2, clinching the Aggies first point and 1-0 lead.
When it came time for singles set, the Aggies again prevailed. In the first round of single sets sophomore Valentin Vacherot and freshman Barnaby Smith got into action. Vacherot competed against Edson Ortiz and won his first set 6-1. Acronada faced Alabama’s Zhe Zhou and won 6-1. Rinderknech matched up against Thibault Cancel and came out on top, 6-2. Aguilar would also win his first set taking on Riccardo Roberto and beating him, 6-2. Smith took on Alexey Nesterov and lost his set, 6-0. Kypson began his first set in a 3-0 hole against Mazen Osama and fought hard to tie the game at five, but lost the last two points and set, 7-5.
In the second set of singles action, Vacherot won 6-3 thus giving the Aggies a 2-0 lead. Arconada followed suit and also won his second set 6-2 to extend the A&M lead to 3-0. Aguilar won his second set 6-2, and soon following Rinderknech won his set 6-3, securing a 5-0 lead. Smith would win second set, 6-3, forcing a third set. Kypson also forced a third set as he won his second set, 6-4. In Smith’s third set Alabama would gain their only point as Nesterov came out on top 6-1. The lead remained with the Aggies 5-1. The last set ended in a super tiebreak with it given to Osama and the final score being 5-2.
A&M now prepares for another road trip as they take on No. 13 Vanderbilt Friday at 4 p.m. at the Currey Tennis Center.