Men's Tennis Opens Season on the Road
1/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Jan. 22, 2001
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#15 Baylor (0-0) vs. #16 SMU (1-0)
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001, 8 p.m.
The 15th-ranked Baylor men's tennis team opens the 2001 dual match season Tuesday at No. 16 SMU. The match is scheduled for 8 p.m. at T-Bar in Dallas.
Like the Bears, the Mustangs lost half their lettermen from a year ago, including two of their three all-Americans. In 2000, SMU finished the season at No. 13 in the nation after losing in the round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament.
SMU upset Baylor in the first match of the spring last season. The then-No. 12 Mustangs won each of the first five singles positions in route to a 5-2 victory over the then-No. 7 Bears.
The Mustangs are 1-0 entering the match, having cruised past Hawaii in Honolulu, 7-0. They are led by the No. 1 player in the nation in senior Genius Chidzikwe. Junior Jon Wallmark is ranked 17th in the nation, making SMU one of three schools in the nation with two Top 20 players (Georgia has three players in the top 20, and Duke has a pair).
Team notes:
The No. 15 ranking to open the spring is the team's lowest ranking at any point since February 1999, when they were ranked No. 19... The Bears have not been out of the top 20 since finishing the 1998 season ranked 26th.
Individual notes:
Head Coach Matt Knoll: 81-46 beginning his sixth season, 73-30 at Baylor (in his fifth season).
Csongor Bibza: Ranks fifth in school history in career singles wins (41)... Advanced to the B Singles quarterfinals of the Rice Invitational (1/19-1/20).
Reiner Neurohr: With Mark Williams, earned a doubles ranking at No. 20 before ever playing a collegiate match... The two backed that up with an 8-3 record in the fall, earning a No. 4 national ranking in the December listing... Neurohr also earned his first career singles ranking in December at No. 91.
Sean O'Connor: Already has two four-match win streaks this year (9/24-9/29, 10/28-10/29)... Advanced to the B Singles quarterfinals of the Rice Invitational (1/19-1/20).
Zoltan Papp: Had a pre-fall ranking of No. 41, but dropped out of the poll after missing the fall due to injury (ACL tear)... Should be ready to go early in the season.
Cory Ross: Won four straight singles matches (9/23-9/29)... Will team with Csongor Bibza at No. 3 doubles, the pair was 5-1 in the fall and advanced to the quarterfinals of the ITA Region VI Tournament... Advanced to the C Singles Semifinals at the Rice Invitational (1/19-1/20).
Mark Williams: Ranks second in school history with 78 career singles wins, 16 wins behind record-holder Johann Jooste, and is tied for second in career doubles wins (72), seven behind David Hodge... With Reiner Neurohr, was ranked the No. 4 doubles team in the nation in December... Earned his first career singles ranking in September (No. 68), but dropped to No. 92 in December.
