FORT WORTH, Texas — Playing without one of their most consistent players, the LSU men’s tennis team dropped its second straight match, losing to TCU, 4-3, on Sunday at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
The Tigers were without sophomore Colt Gaston, who was still recovering from a leg injury he suffered in a match against Clemson on Thursday.
“We had to go without one of our most reliable players and we weren’t able to get it done,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown.
Without Gaston, Brown found himself without half of his 28th-ranked doubles team and was forced to shift around his normal doubles lineup.
Danny Bryan, Gaston’s normal doubles partner, paired up with freshman James Cluskey, while Cluskey’s normal partner Paul White played with teammate Kevin Dessauer on the No. 3 court.
Despite the unusual pairings the Tigers were able to pull together and win the double point for the ninth time in their 11 matches.
White and Dessauer dispatched TCU’s Cosmin Cotet and Andrei Mlendea 8-5. After a loss by 10th-ranked Ken Skupski and Mark Growcott at the No. 1 position, Bryan and Cluskey clinched the doubles point, outlasting Kriegler Brink and Jacopo Tezza, 9-8.
However, for a second straight match the Tigers were unable to capitalize on their early success and finish of the opposition on the singles courts.
After Danny Bryan picked up 6-0, 6-3, win on court 3 against Cotet to put LSU up 2-0, the Horned Frogs shot back, reeling off four straight singles wins and clinching the victory.
LSU’s 20th-ranked Ken Skupski was able to notch a victory over top-100 ranked Rafeal Abreu in three sets, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 on the No. 1 singles court. The win moves Skupski’s singles record to 17-5, including eight wins over top-100 opponents.
“I was proud of the way the guys played today,” said Brown. “We fought hard and were able to get doubles point, but we just lacked the experience on some of the lower courts to be able to pull out the win.”
Once again LSU will have to try to regain its winning form and Tigers will continue to face stiff opposition. LSU will open up its SEC schedule Friday against No. 20-ranked Tennessee at W. T. Robinson Tennis Stadium
“We’ve got to get back to work and get focused for Tennessee,” said Brown. “That’s our first SEC match and we need to get off to a good start.”
#13 LSU vs. #32 TCU
TCU 4, LSU 3
Singles
1.Ken Skupski, LSU def Rafael Abreu, TCU 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
2. Andrei Mlendea, TCU, def. Mark Growcott, TCU, 7-5, 6-4
3. Danny Bryan, LSU def. Cosmin Cotet, TCU, 6-0, 6-3
4. Jacopo Tezza, TCU, def Paul White, LSU, 6-2, 6-4
5. Jordan Freitas, TCU, def James Cluskey, LSU, 7-5, 6-2
6. Kriegler Brink, TCU, def Martel Campbell, LSU, 7-6, 6-3
Doubles
1. Abreu/Frietas, TCU def. Growcott/Skupski, LSU, 8-6
2. Bryan/Cluskey, LSU def. Brink/Tezza, TCU 9-7
3. Dessauer/White, LSU def Cotet/Mlendea, TCU, 8-5