By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer
Baylor men’s tennis head coach Michael Woodson and the Bears endured a seven-game losing streak early in the season but have since turned things around. Now on a six-game winning streak and with all of its firepower back, Baylor hopes keep the late-season push alive.
“We went into this year thinking this might take some time with this team, to really get into the groove of being great competitors, not just as a team, but as individuals,” Woodson said. “They’ve just done such a good job of individually working on the things that they need and collectively just becoming better competitors. Over time, they’ve used the tough experiences that they’ve had in the tough matches against the top programs as fuel as a learning experience.”
The Bears (14-11, 1-0 Big 12) opened up conference play on Saturday with a 5-2 win against Texas Tech University. The victory was just the beginning of good news for Baylor, as senior and captain Finn Bass returned to the court for the first time since Feb. 19 against then-No. 16 University of Florida in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
Woodson said Bass is “two weeks ahead of what we really thought” he’d be at.
“He’s just doing the best that he can and it’s exciting to have him back to finish out these next couple months with the guys, side by side with them,” Woodson said. “I think he’s going to be back in singles soon and it’s exciting.”
Bass played through an injury early in the season that affected his nerves and caused discomfort. Even with him off the court, the Bears were able to find some success in doubles play. Sophomore Justin Braverman and junior Christopher Frantzen had their names called, and they answered.
The duo of Braverman and Frantzen have won five of their six doubles matches during Baylor’s winning streak, which Woodson said instilled confidence in him as a coach.
“We were going to play two other guys, and then in practice, [Braverman and Frantzen] came out and won 10 games in a row; and [at that point] you have to put them in,” Woodson said. “They’ve really earned it. They’re working as hard as I’ve ever seen them work and they gel really well together.”
The new tandem hasn’t been the only members of that team that have stepped up in Bass’ absence. Freshman Zsomber “Z” Velcz, freshman Luc Koenig and sophomore Ethan Muza have also played larger roles and been forced to play on tougher courts.
“I tried to put ‘Z’ at [court] six and I thought he was going to play the whole year there,” Woodson said. “Next thing you know, he’s playing [on court] two. I can’t stop the guy, he just keeps winning. Luc and Ethan have also done a great job.”
Woodson continued to rave about the talent he gets to put on the court every match. Additionally, sophomore Marko Miladinović took over on court three this year, and he along with junior Tadeas “Teddy” Paroulek and senior and captain Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi, who goes by “Juampi,” have all had to take over at the top for the squad.
“Teddy is putting together a spectacular All-American season, he’s really special,” Woodson said. “And Juampi, he just wins. He fusses [at first] and then he just wins. It’s crazy, he’s so good it’s kind of boring how easily he makes it look routine.”
With the return of Bass, all the veterans are hoping it can help push the team forward on its final stretch of the season. Big 12 play will continue, and with two captains on the court instead of one, Paroulek said “it’s a great sign for our team.”
“Finn is a very important player for us and it’s great that he’s painless right now,” Paroulek said. “He has some time to practice and he will be ready for TCU.”
The green and gold will be back in action on Thursday against No. 3 Texas Christian University. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center in Fort Worth.
