Featured Photo by Cameron Wimberly/MTSU Athletic Communications

Story by Samuel Demonbreun

No. 21 Middle Tennessee remains undefeated at home and improves to 7-2 as it defeats Conference USA foe Rice 7-0 Friday at the Adams Tennis Complex.

Oskar Horakl and Francisco Rocha continued their doubles dominance, as the No. 23 ranked duo defeated Rice’s Wes Barnett and Trinity Grear 6-3.

Rocha brought the ATC crowd to its feet with a circus shot to win a crucial point and flip the momentum in his doubles match.

“I knew what I was doing, I just didn’t think it was physically possible to do that shot,” Rocha said, “I never hit that shot in my life, it was the first time. I was amazed that I actually made it.”

“It’s a very unique situation, not every place has this. I tell them to really enjoy every moment and to really use it during the match. Get the crowd engaged and fired up and pump your fist. I’d like to think it gives us a couple points here and there.”

MTSU took the doubles point as Stijn Slump and Pavel Motl defeated Rice’s Santiago Navarro and Campbell Salmon, 7-5 and Ondrej Horak and Shu Matsuoka vs. Kabeer Kapasi and Eduardo Morais ended unfinished 6-6 (5-3 tiebreak).

Rocha continued his outstanding day in singles as he earned a swift 6-0, 6-2 win over Emir Sendogan. 

“It feels good, I felt like I produced a very good week of practice,” Rocha said, “I just tried to keep that alive on the court.”

Stijn Slump put an exclamation on the match with an enthralling back and forth win over Trinity Grear, 7-6 (7-2 tiebreak), 7-6 (7-2 tiebreak).

“It’s a very unique situation, not every place has this,” Borendame said of the home crowd. “I tell them to really enjoy every moment and to really use it during the match. Get the crowd engaged and fired up and pump your fist. I’d like to think it gives us a couple points here and there.”

Samuel Demonbreun is a sports reporter for MTSU Sidelines. If you have any information for a story, you can contact him at [email protected].