Match Preview: Men's Tennis vs. Fresno State
3/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 1, 2001
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#20 Baylor (4-2, 2-0) vs. #23 Fresno State (2-2)
Saturday, March 3, 2001, Noon, Streich Tennis Courts
The 20th-ranked Baylor men's tennis team comes home for a brief stay to face No. 23 Fresno State Saturday at noon at the Streich Tennis Courts.
The Bears, in the midst of playing seven of nine matches on the road to open the year, have won 21 straight matches at home. Baylor's last home loss came April 17, 1998, when the Bears fell to Texas A&M in the final match of the regular season.
Last year, then-No. 13 Fresno Stat e beat then-No. 7 Baylor in Fresno. Baylor took a 3-1 lead in the match but was unable to close out the win. FSU's Peter Luczak came from behind to win in three sets over Baylor ac eJohann Jooste and give the Bulldogs the victory.
Fresno State is led by seniors Peter Luczak and Sean Cooper. Luczak, a 2000 all-American, took the fall off to play in satellite and challenger tournaments and is 4-0 since returning for the spring. The senior finished 2000 ranked No. 13 in the nation and comes into the weekend at No. 90.
Cooper is currently ranked No. 86 in the nation in singles, and FSU's No. 1 doubles team of junior Nick Fustar and senior David Mullins is ranked No. 40.
The Bulldogs play at No. 38 Tulsa on Thursday before traveling to Waco for Saturday's match. In case of bad weather, the match will be moved to indoor courts in Ennis, Texas, one hour north of Waco.
Team notes:
The Baylor men have won 21 matches in a row at home, dating back to April 17, 1998, when the Bears lost to Texas A&M in the final match of the regular season.
The Bears' No. 21 ranking (2/21) was the team's lowest ranking at any point since the team finished the 1998 season ranked 26th.
Baylor's 0-2 start was the team's worst start since 1992, when the team also opened 0-2.
The two-match losing streak was Baylor's longest since 1998, when the Bears lost the final two matches of the season (Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals and NCAA first round).
The Baylor men's and women's tennis teams have both ranked in top 25 for the past 51 weeks, dating to March 15, 2000, when the Baylor women moved up to No. 18.
Individual notes:
Head Coach Matt Knoll: 85-48 in his sixth season, 77-32 at Baylor (in his fifth season)... His 75th win at Baylor came on the road against Tulane (2/11).
Csongor Bibza: Ranks fifth in school history in career singles wins (43)... Sixth in the Baylor record book in career doubles wins (64), four behind fifth-place Johannes Michalsky... Advanced to the B Singles quarterfinals of the Rice Invitational (1/19-1/20)... Beat No. 24 Rene-Charles Combette of Mississippi State in Starkville (1/27).
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)... Named preseason all-Big 12 in singles... Saw his first action of the spring (doubles only) against Lamar (1/31)... Returned to the singles lineup with a straight-set win at Tulane (2/11)... Has won his first three matches of the year.
Mark Williams: Ranks second in school history with 83 career singles wins, 11 wins behind record-holder Johann Jooste, and is second in career doubles wins (75), four behind David Hodge... Earned his first career singles ranking in September (No. 68)... Suffered an injury against Mississippi State (1/27) which forced him to miss the match against Lamar (1/31)... Named preseason all-Big 12 in singles.
Other Notes: Freshman Reiner Neurohr earned his first career singles ranking in December at No. 91... Freshman Cory Ross advanced to the C Singles Semifinals at the Rice Invitational (1/19-1/20)... Freshman Matias Marin has won his first four matches to begin his collegiate career.
Doubles notes:
The team of freshman Reiner Neurohr and senior Mark Williams earned a doubles ranking of No. 20 before ever playing a match together... Ranked as high as No. 4 (December 2000)... The pair was named preseason all-Big 12.
The team of Csongor Bibza and Cory Ross has settled in at the No. 2 spot, winning four straight matches and compiling a stellar 10-2 record.
