2021-22 Shocker Men's Tennis

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Ink Five-Star Recruit Luke Bracks

https://goshockers.com/news/2021/11/11/mens-tennis-shockers-ink-five-star-recruit-luke-bracks.aspx

The Wichita State men's tennis team signed five-star recruit Luke Bracks of Tulsa, Oklahoma on Thursday.

"I'm really excited to have Luke joining us next year," head coach Danny Bryan said. "Luke is a pretty aggressive player with a big serve and forehand."

Bracks is the No. 1 player in Oklahoma and is ranked 49^th in the country for the class of 2022 according to Tennis Recruiting Network.

"The thing that stood out to me the most about him was the way he competes," Bryan said. "He is going to bring it every day in practice and matches. We look forward to getting him on campus."

Bracks will join the Shocker men's tennis program for the 2022-23 season.

---

Seem like a pretty good get or the Shocker men' tennis team to get this guy out of Tulsa's backyard. Tulsa has pretty solid tennis programs as does OU and OSU.

Of course, the great majority of collegiate tennis plays at the D-1 level are overseas recruits.

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Spring Into Season with Back-to-Back Wins

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/1/22/mens-tennis-shockers-spring-into-season-with-back-to-back-wins.aspx

The Wichita State men's tennis team served up their season with two-straight home wins against Saint Louis (7-0) and Oral Roberts (6-1), only dropping one point on the day.

The Shockers are back at it today with a 1 p.m. match against Purdue which should be a much tougher challenge.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks win the doubles point against Purdue winning the #1 doubles 7-5, losing the #2 doubles 4-6, and winning the #3 doubles 6-0.

The Shocks now need at least a split of the 6 singles matches.

#4 singles go to the Shocks at 6-3, 3-3 when the Purdue player retired probably due to injury. Shocks lead 2-0.

Mid-year roster addition, Kristof Minarik our of Slovakia, picks up a 6-3, 6-2 win in the #3 singles. Shocks lead 3-0 and need one more win to clinch the match.

Shocker junior Orel Ovel clinches the match with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) win in #2 singles. Shocks lead 4-0.

Shocker sophomore Alex Richards makes it 5-0 with a 6-1, 6-4 win at #6 singles.

Shocks continue the whitewash with a 6-0 win by junior Nicolas Acevodo at #1 singles coming from down a set to win 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.

In #5 singles Purdue wins a super-tiebreaker in lieu of a full 3rd set winning by scores of 7-5, 4-6, 10-5.

Final Score: Shocks 6 - Purdue 1

Good start for the Shocks this weekend although I don't know much about the quality of the opponents this weekend.

[1972Shocker]

We might get a better read on the Shocker Men's tennis team this weekend. The Shocks will be in Ft. Worth as part of the ITA Kickoff Weekend which features 60 of the top Division I programs and consists of 15 four-team brackets. Each region plays for a bid to the ITA National Indoor Championships.

The Ft. Worth bracket is hosted by #4 ranked TCU who plays Portland on Saturday. The Shockers take on fellow AAC member #46 ranked Tulsa on Saturday. The winners face off on Sunday as do the two losers. Clearly TCU will be a heavy favorite to win this pod.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks fell to #46 Tulsa today in Ft. Worth 2-4. I think the Shocks were generally competitive but losing the doubles point probably cost them any chance at the upset. No. 6 singles went unfinished with Tulsa winning the 1st set 6-3 and trailing in the 2nd set 1-3.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocker men are 8-6 on the season and take on Tulane this afternoon at the Arizona State Spring Break Tournament. The Shockers are ranked #72 and Tulane is ranked at #62. Tulane beat the Shockers last spring 5-2.

The Shockers lost #3 doubles 4-6 but pulled out close wins in the #1 and #2 doubles both at 7-6 to take the doubles point.

Needing to win 3 of the 6 singles matches to secure the team win the Shockers won the 1st set in 4 of the 6 matches. However, Tulane came back to win 3 of the 2nd sets in those 4 matches. The Shocks finished of a win at #3 singles at 6-0, 6-4 and Tulane won at the #2 singles 6-2, 6-0 and at #6 singles 6-3, 6-3 to make the tie the score at 2-2 with the #1, #4 and #5 singles all going to a 3rd set.

The Shocks pulled out a win at the #1 singles 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 and Tulane got the win at the #4 singles 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to make it 3-3 with the Tulane leading slightly in the #5 singles at 2-6, 6-3, 4-3 to decide the outcome of the match.

I am not sure what the final score was in the #5 singles but I was able to watch the final few points of that match and even though there was no audio or scoreboard you tell by the teams reaction that Shocker Ray Lo was able to pull out a win at #5 and secure a very competitive 4-3 win for the Shocks.

Update: Trailing 3-4 in the 3rd Ray Lo won 4 of the next 5 games for set and match at 7-5.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks take on Princeton today in the ASU Spring Break Tournament.

As against Tulane the Shocks won the doubles point winning the #1 and #3 doubles each by a 6-3 score. Princeton won the #2 doubles 6-2.

So again the Shocks need to win 3 of the 6 singles matches.

At this point Shocks have won the #4 (6-2, 6-4) and the #5 (6-4, 6-4). Princeton has matche that winning the #1 singles (6-2, 6-3) and the #3 singles 6-0, 6-1).

With the Shocks leading 3-2 they need one of the two remaining singles matches

With the Shocks score first, the #2 singles is sitting at 4-6, 5-2 so hopefully that is heading to a 3rd set. The #6 singles is at 6-7, 1-2.

Update: I don't have any details but the Shocks ended up losing both of those final 2 singles matches and lose the dual 4-3.

[1972Shocker]

No. 37 Memphis Downs Shockers in Dallas

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/4/1/mens-tennis-no-37-memphis-downs-shockers-in-dallas.aspx

The Shocks lost 4-2 but were pretty competitive with there 2 wins coming at the #1 and #2 singles.

Singles competition
1. Nicolas Acevedo (WSU) def. Oscar Cutting (MEM) 6-4, 7-5
2. Kristof Minarik (WSU) def. David Stevenson (MEM) 6-3, 6-2
3. Jeremy Taylor (MEM) def. Luka Mrsic (WSU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Orel Ovil (WSU) vs. Pablo Alemany Malea (MEM) 6-4, 3-6, 3-4, unfinished
5. Pau Fanlo (MEM) def. Ray Lo (WSU) 6-4, 6-2
6. Harry Rock (MEM) def. Alex Richards (WSU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)

Doubles competition
1. #18 David Stevenson/Jeremy Taylor (MEM) def. Alex Richards/Kristof Minarik (WSU) 6-3
2. Orel Ovil/Luka Mrsic (WSU) def. Pablo Alemany Malea/Oscar Cutting (MEM) 6-2
3. Patrick Sydow/Pau Fanlo (MEM) def. Ray Lo/Nicolas Acevedo (WSU) 6-4

[1972Shocker]

No. 31 SMU Slips Past Shockers

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/4/2/mens-tennis-no-31-smu-slips-past-shockers.aspx

For the second straight day the Shocks lost to a ranked AAC opponent in Dallas 4-2 but again were pretty compettitve. Krisof Minarik won his second match of the weekend with a win at #1 singles. 5 of the 6 singles matches went 3 sets.

Singles competition
1. Kristof Minarik (WSU) def. Adam Neff (SMU) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
2. Caleb Chakravarthi (SMU) def. Nicolas Acevedo (WSU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
3. Pranav Kumar (SMU) def. Orel Ovil (WSU) 5-7, 6-4, 7-6
4. Julian Steinhausen (SMU) vs. Ray Lo (WSU) 5-7, 7-5, 4-5, unfinished
5. Alex Richards (WSU) def. Louis Cloud (SMU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Jordi Redelijk (SMU) def. Jackie Lin (WSU) 4-6, 7-6, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Adam Neff/Pranav Kumar (SMU) def. Kristof Minarik/Alex Richards (WSU) 6-0
2. Caleb Chakravarthi/Ivan Thamma (SMU) def. Luka Mrsic/Orel Ovil (WSU) 6-4
3. Huntley Allen/Julian Steinhausen (SMU) vs. Nicolas Acevedo/Ray Lo (WSU) 4-5, unfinished

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Defeat Temple in Dallas

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/4/3/mens-tennis-shockers-defeat-temple-in-dallas.aspx

The Shocks finish up their time in Dallas agaisnt AAC competition with a 4-1 win over Temple.

Singles competition

1. Nicolas Acevedo (WSU) def. Marin Delmas (TEM) 6-2, 6-2
2. Kristof Minarik (WSU) vs. Louis Gorregues (TEM) 6-7, 3-3, unfinished
3. Leo Raquin (TEM) def. Orel Ovil (WSU) 6-3, 6-4
4. Ray Lo (WSU) def. Hussein El Tawil (TEM) 6-4, 7-5
5. Alex Richards (WSU) vs. Gregoire Barety (TEM) 6-7, 3-3, unfinished
6. Jackie Lin (WSU) def. Thibault Frumholz (TEM) 6-4, 7-5

Doubles competition

1. Kristof Minarik/Alex Richards (WSU) vs. Marin Delmas/Louis Gorregues (TEM) 5-5, unfinished
2. Orel Ovil/Luka Mrsic (WSU) def. Thibault Frumholz/Leo Raquin (TEM) 6-3
3. Nicolas Acevedo/Ray Lo (WSU) def. Gregoire Barety/Jericho Grollman (TEM) 6-3

[1972Shocker]

The Shocker men's tennis team are heading to Tulsa for the AAC Championships starting this Friday, April 22nd.

Excluding 2 wins over non-Division I competition (Cowley College and NW Missouri State) the Shocks are 10-13 during the spring season, including 2-7 in their last 9 matches. 8 of those 9 matches were against ranked opponents. The Shocks defeated #69 ranked Tulane and unranked Temple in those 9 matches. The 7 losses include 4 losses to AAC opponets. #37 Memphis, #27 SMU, #40 USF, #49 Tulsa. The Shockers final regular season match was a loss to #17 Middle Tennesee State. The Shocks also lost to Tulsa in the spring season opener back in January.

That said I don't think this is really a bad men's tennis team this year. They have been competitive in many of these matches to ranked opponents, in particular at the top of the lineups. Still, considering the quality of men's tennis that is being played in the AAC with 6 of the 8 programs that sponsor men's tennis being ranked in the Top 75 (the 5 teams mentioned above plus #46 UCF) with only the Shockers and Temple being unranked I would not expect the Shockers to advance very far in the tournament.

This is a single elimination Tournament. The AAC has not announced the bracket pairings yet. My guess is the Shocks with be the 7th seed although I guess they could be the 6th seed since they own a win over Tulane. Not sure how the AAC goes about seeding the teams. So I would guess they would be playing Memphis or USF. They were a bit more competitive against Memphis thatn against USF when they played recently.

[1972Shocker]

So the Shockers are indeed the 7th seed in the AAC Championship and will face #2 seed and #37 ranked Memphis at Noon on Friday.

The Shocks did play Memphis pretty tough in a 2-4 loss at the beginning of this month in Dallas including Shocker wins at both the #1 and #2 singles.

Obviously, an upset if the Shocks can win this one, but I think they have a chance if the can get some bounces go their way. I would rate their chances as fuzzy.

[WstateU]

So the Shockers are indeed the 7th seed in the AAC Championship and will face #2 seed and #37 ranked Memphis at Noon on Friday.

The Shocks did play Memphis pretty tough in a 2-4 loss at the beginning of this month in Dallas including Shocker wins at both the #1 and #2 singles.

Obviously, an upset if the Shocks can win this one, but I think they have a chance if the can get some bounces go their way. I would rate their chances as fuzzy.

Insert Jim Carey (Lloyd Christmas) gif…

[1972Shocker]

The Shocks season comes to an end with a 4-1 loss to #36 Memphis in the opening round of the AAC Championship

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/4/22/mens-tennis-shockers-fall-to-no-36-memphis-in-aac-quarterfinals.aspx

For the most part I think the Shocks were competitive but just not quite enough firepower to stay with Memphis.

The Shocks finished the season at 12-14 which inlcuded 12 matches against ranked teams including 7 against ranked AAC teams. I don't think the Shocks were all that bad this year but the AAC appears to be a very tough men's tennis conference.

[SubGod22]

WSU - Bryan Returns to LSU; Forman Named Interim Head Coach

Danny Bryan, who had guided the Shocker men's tennis program since 2016, was introduced Tuesday as head coach at his alma mater, LSU. Bryan was an All-American for the Tigers in 2007 and stayed on as an assistant coach through 2016 before making the move to Wichita.

Over the last six years Bryan has steadily improved the WSU men's tennis program. He earned the ITA's Central Region Coach of the Year honor in 2021 after guiding the Shockers to an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.

Forman joined the WSU staff in July, 2021 after serving as an assistant coach at Wisconsin and as volunteer assistant at both Princeton and Michigan State. He was a three-year captain and four-time team MVP for the Spartans, amassing over 100 singles victories.