SMU senior Robin Faghen waits for the ball so he can complete the serve. (MICHAEL DANSER/The Daily Campus)

The No. 73 SMU men’s tennis team (6-3) will put their three-match winning streak on the line when they travel south to Waco to take on the No. 12 Baylor Bears (8-2) on Feb. 26.
The team will then return home to rest for a day before hosting the University of Minnesota (3-3).

The Bears will be ready to blow off some steam against the Mustangs, after their match against No. 3 Ohio State was cancelled due to weather conditions. The Buckeyes did not accept to play their scheduled outdoor match with the Bears because it was too cold.

According to Intercollegiate Tennis Association rules, if a match is played outdoors, the temperature must be above 50 degrees.

“We are bitterly disappointed,” said Matt Knoll, head coach of the Bears, in an interview with baylorbears.com. “I am not just disappointed for myself, but disappointed for the fans that showed up. We got all of these people out here. They have made a selfish decision not to play today.”

No. 71 Artem Baradach and freshman Pablo Perez-Espanaola, who has a team-best record of 7-1 on the season, lead the Mustangs. Still, if the Mustangs hope to pull off the upset, it will take a complete team effort.

The Mustangs’ other match will be against the No. 37 Minnesota Gophers on Feb. 28.

Fortunately for SMU, the Gophers will first have to get through No. 26 University of Oklahoma, which will put the two teams on an even playing field in terms of preparation time.