By Aidan O’Connor | Sports Writer
After losing back-to-back matches against top-5 teams, Baylor men’s tennis aims to get back on track and hand SMU its first loss of the spring season.
“We try to take it one match at a time, understanding that we’re not going to win every single match,” head coach Michael Woodson said. “Our schedule is very difficult, but at the same time we believe we can beat anybody on a given day.”
The Bears (2-2) started the season on a high note, winning their first two matches in dominant fashion against Lamar and Abilene Christian. The early success wouldn’t last long, though, as Baylor failed to land blows against No. 4 Wake Forest and No. 2 TCU. Even with the losses, the green and gold haven’t lost confidence. Instead, they’ve identified areas to excel.
“I like where we’re at as a doubles team and I think we can have the best doubles team in the country,” Woodson said.
After losing every doubles match to No. 4 Wake Forest, the South African tandem of sophomore Devin Badenhorst and junior Luc Koenig took down their match against TCU, 7-5. Romanian graduate transfer Alexandru Chirita and sophomore Louis Bowden almost took home the doubles point but couldn’t close out the tiebreaker, 7-6(9).
Not to mention, the No. 3 duo in the country, seniors Marko Miladinović and Oskar Brostrom Poulsen, are coming off a strong fall season. Even though they didn’t win the doubles point, the performance versus TCU gave the Bears a nudge in the right direction.
“The biggest thing we’ve been trying to work on for the whole year has just been the willingness to show up and fight,” Woodson said.
Woodson added that seniors Justin Braverman, Quintan Van Wijk and Chirita have stepped up into leadership roles, which has improved mental toughness. These players have spread and heightened the level of intensity and competitiveness throughout the team, making them ready and willing to fight every time they get on the court.
“We’re confident we can get the job done, but we know against anybody like this it’s not going to be easy. So, we’re going to bring our best competitive selves to the match,” Woodson said.
SMU (5-0), while being a rival, has struggled in recent matchups against the Bears, holding a 21-game losing streak against them dating back to Feb. 2, 2002. Baylor stole the last meeting, 4-2, on Feb. 25, 2024, in Waco. It was the first time the Mustangs secured at least two points against the green and gold since 2009.
With a winning pedigree against SMU, an improved doubles team and strong bonds between teammates, the Bears are looking to return to their winning ways at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas.
