Razorbacks to open spring tennis season with pair of doubleheaders

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ men’s tennis team is slated to open its spring campaign this Wednesday at the Dills Indoor Courts in a doubleheader against Mercer.

The first match is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

It will be the first of two doubleheaders in Fayetteville this week as the team also hosts UCF and St. Louis this Saturday.

The first match is scheduled against UCF and will start at 1 p.m.

Match Info
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019
Location: Dills Indoor Courts
Opponent: Mercer (DH)
First Serve: 3 p.m.
Live Stats: Arkansas.Statbroadcast.com

Following the matches, there will be an opportunity for the children in attendance to play on the courts for a brief period.

This week’s competition will be the first since Arkansas completed its fall season in October at the FGCU/Bonita Bay Invitational.

It’s also the first match at home since Arkansas defeated Ole Miss 4-3 on April 15 last spring. It’s the first time since 2017 that Arkansas will open up spring competition at home.

Arkansas was stellar at home last year, going 10-3 in Fayetteville, including three conference wins. Since the 2015-16 season, the Razorbacks have compiled a 32-13 record at home.

The two home matches this week mark the first of 12 home dates the Razorback have this season. The home slate includes matchups against Big 12 rivals Texas (Feb. 10) and Oklahoma (Feb. 27), in addition to hosting Southeastern Conference foes South Carolina (March 1), Florida (March 3), Vanderbilt (March 14), Kentucky (March 16), Mississippi State (March 30), and Auburn (April 13).

Entering his sixth season at the helm, coach Andy Jackson returns eight players from last year’s roster, including four seniors in Pedro Dominguez Alonso, Oscar Mesquida, Adam Sanjurjo and Branch Terrell.

This fall, the Razorbacks went 43-25 (.632) in singles matches, including an 8-2 record from Jose Dominguez Alonso and an 8-4 record from newcomer Enrique Paya.

In doubles matches this past fall, Jose and Pedro Alonso accounted for the most wins on the team, going 4-2.

Arkansas loses All-American Jose Salazar who led the team in singles wins last season with 24, but returns four of its five players that reached double-digits singles victories last season.

The Razorbacks also return the duo of Oscar Mesquida and Adam Sanjurjo who led the team in doubles wins last season.