SMU’s Adolfo Solares bends down to make contact with the ball during the match against UIC Thursday at Bent Tree Tennis Center. (Sarah Acosta)
In its third dual match of the season, the SMU men’s tennis team hosts the No. 75 University of Arkansas-Little Rock and Prairie View A&M on Saturday at the Bent Tree Country Club. The Mustangs are 9-8 for the season and 0-1 in conference play.
The Trojans of Arkansas are 16-5 this season, taking a 4-3 win over Winthrop University on Sunday. They hold a 4-4 record on the road and are 0-2 against nationally ranked opponents.
At No. 1 for the Trojans is Dinko Halachev. He holds a 7-5 record at the top spot and is 5-4 of his last 10 matches. Halachev also plays No. 1 doubles with teammate German Perez. The duo boasts a 9-4 record in dual matches.
The Mustangs also face Prairie View A&M on Saturday. Last season, SMU blanked the Panthers 7-0 when they played them in a double-header against Prairie View A&M and Centenary College.
No. 67 Alex Skrpyko sits atop the SMU roster at No. 1 singles. The junior holds a 5-7 singles record as well as a 5-4 dual match record with teammate Federico Murgier at No. 1 doubles.
Mustangs Murgier and David Kuczer share the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions. Murgier holds a 2-9 singles record overall this season, going 1-3 at No. 2 and 0-5 at No. 3. Kuczer is 3-6 at No. 2 and 0-2 at No. 3. Kuczer played No. 2 and Murgier played No. 3 in the Mustangs’ last match against the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Robin Faghen holds the team’s best singles record with 9-4. The freshman plays predominantly at No. 4 and No. 5. He also pairs with Olivind Alver for the Mustangs’ best doubles record.
Alver and Faghen are 7-4 in doubles this season, having played at least two matches at every position.
Chris Hooshyar and Adolfo Solares round out the SMU roster, each taking turns at the bottom three positions. Hooshyar and Kuczer pair for a 2-4 record in doubles this season.
Saturday’s double-header continues the Mustangs’ nine-match home stand. Next on the list is the University of Wisconsin on April 2 at the Bent Tree Country Club.
