Men’s tennis team looks to what’s coming after starting season with a bang

The Tigers are experiencing their best start to a season since 2012, currently boasting a 7-1 record. Their one and only loss came against No. 1 and reigning national champions, Wake Forest. 

Memphis head coach Paul Goebel said he is pleased with his team’s start to the season and that he could not have expected more from them. 

“It shows the hard work the guys put in last fall and over the Christmas break when they’re on their own,†Goebel said. “We’re now set up to do well for the rest of the season but the competition is certainly going to get a little tougher.â€

Memphis associate head coach Chris Doerr has been pleased with the team’s early season play, but with matches against top 20 teams such as Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to come, he wants the team to remain level-headed.

“Giving the No. 1 team in the country a real run for their money is something that we’re really excited about,†Doerr said. “But we’re trying to make sure these guys are focused on the next match, and as long as we keep that mentality, I think we can keep this good start going.â€

German and lone senior Chris Patzanovsky has led from the front this season, winning five of his six singles matches at the No. 1 slot. Patzanovsky has relished the attention of playing on the top court and has handled the added pressure. Patzanovsky played predominantly lower in the line-up at the No. 4 slot in his first three years as a Tiger, but he was the obvious choice to play No. 1 this season because the team’s top three singles players graduated last year.

Patza, as he is known by his teammates, is not only renowned for his huge forehand but also as being quite the showman for often interacting with the crowd.

“Obviously, I enjoy all eyes being on me and I love playing for and with the crowd,†said Patzanovsky. “But in the end, every spot is only worth one point, so I’m just trying to get my job done the best way I know how.â€

Patzanovsky’s close friend and roommate Jan Pallares has also made a strong start to his third spring season. Pallares, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, has a 3-0 singles record playing mostly at No. 3. He also plays No. 2 doubles and holds a 5-1 record playing alongside freshman Patrick Sydow. In contrast to Patzanovsky, Pallares is known for his quiet nature and being very consistent from the baseline.

“Now that I am one of the oldest on the team, I feel like I have more responsibility,†Pallares said. “My first two years, I didn’t say a word on court, but the coaches encouraged me to be louder. And it’s actually better. It has given me more energy when I play.â€

Fans of the men’s tennis team would not be surprised by the impressive play on show from Patzanovsky and Pallares. Some could say it was expected of them due to their seniority and experience, but many fans would not have expected to see such strong performances from the Tigers’ freshmen this early in their careers. The Tigers freshmen have been outstanding in their side’s opening eight matches this season, none more so than David Stevenson and Oscar Cutting.

 “The intensity is really high; the match is never over until it’s over,†Cutting said on his first month as a college tennis player. “Although its cliché, it’s true – anyone can beat anyone. Which is weird, but it’s enjoyable.â€

Cutting, who signed for the Tigers from England, holds the best singles record on the team, having won all six of the matches he has played. Cutting plays with a classic style, highlighted by his elegant single-handed backhand and sharpness at net. Along with going undefeated in singles play, he has teamed up with fellow freshman Stevenson to fill the No. 1 doubles position.

Playing against opponents often far older with experience well beyond their own, Stevenson and Cutting have performed admirably and currently have a 3-2 record. With their most notable win coming against Belmont’s No. 1 team, who are the reigning American Athletic Conference doubles champions. The young pair’s success appears to have blossomed from a coaching masterstroke by associate head coach Doerr.

Despite a very strong start to the season, stern challenges lie ahead for the young Tigers, the first of which is a pair of home matches this coming weekend. The Tigers face Michigan State on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Louisiana State University on Sunday at noon, both at the Racquet Club of Memphis. The Tigers schedule is packed with long road trips, which is nothing new for Paul Goebel and his team. Goebel said an away schedule can actually be a blessing in disguise due to the format of the ITA ranking system.   

“We usually do travel more than we play at home,†Goebel said. “The way the ranking system works you usually get more points for beating a team on the road. We also play some road matches at neutral sites and we have had success in those in the past few years.â€

A flight to the Northeastern U.S. to face Harvard and Dartmouth, followed by a long trip through Oklahoma and Kansas fill the middle portion of the Tigers season. A positive record through those matches will be crucial in gaining momentum for the final third of the season.

The season does not get any easier for the Tigers as they then travel to the San Diego Invitational followed by a tricky visit to Tulsa for a single dual match.  The regular season will come to an end in Florida with matches against USF and UCF before the American Athletic Conference Championships get underway in Orlando, Florida on April 18.