NORMAN, Okla. - Wichita State's men's tennis team took on the No. 14 overall-seed Texas Tech in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, falling 4-0 to end the Shockers' season.

Originally scheduled for 11 a.m., the Shockers waited out a weather delay that changed the format of the Norman regional. At long last, the teams took the courts outside at a chilly Headington Family Tennis Center just after 6 p.m.

"They're a scrappy group who plays in one of the toughest conferences in the country," Head Coach Brad Louderback said. "Five of the Big 12 teams are routinely in the top 20 and they are a very solid team with a lot of talent. They deserve a lot of credit." 

Originally scheduled for 11 a.m., the Shockers waited out a weather delay that changed the format of the Norman regional. At long last, the teams took the courts outside at a chilly Headington Family Tennis Center just after 6 p.m.

Texas Tech gained a win and a substantial loss during doubles play. After the Shockers freshman duo of Valentin Mihai and Sven Kasper took a quick 3-0 lead in the No. 1 match, the 86th-ranked doubles tandem in the country fell to 17th-ranked  Raony Carvalho and Rafael Garcia, 8-3 to clinch the doubles point. At match point; however, Carvalho and Garcia swung at the same ball. Although Carvalho hit a winner to seal the match, he struck his partner's hand in the process, breaking his racket and sidelining All-Big 12 player Garcia for singles play.

Gonzalo Escobar and Andre Stabile already locked down the first doubles win by the same margin in the No. 2 position against juniors Adrian Chermaci and Vlad Marinescu. Refusing to surrender, freshman Matheus Pereira and sophomore David Cavalcanti had worked themselves into a close match with Vitor Manzini and David Gonzalez in the No. 3 spot, as they trailed the Red Raiders, 7-6, when doubles was called. 

"We knew we had to get the doubles point because they are so strong at singles," Louderback said. "We were there in doubles for a while, we competed and I was proud of them for that."

Louderback spoke wisely as the Red Raiders showed their strength in singles play. The Red Raiders All-Big 12 sophomores led the charge, earning the first and the last singles win at the No. 1 and 2 positions. Escobar worked efficiently against Marinescu in the No. 2 match, winning 6-0, 6-2 to give Tech the 2-0 lead.

While Mihai and Pereira built leads in the No. 3 and 5 positions, respectively, the Red Raiders turned up the heat. Raphael Pfister overcame the 4-1 lead against Pereira in the first set to beat the Shocker freshman, 6-4, 6-1.  

After Cavalcanti won his first set in a tough 7-6 (4) battle, the 17th-ranked player in the country proved his talent against the Shockers' No. 1 singles player. Carvalho defeated Kasper, 6-1, 6-2, to clinch the win for the Red Raiders.

Singles Results

1. #17 Raony Carvalho (TTU) def. Sven Kasper (WSU), 6-1, 6-2

2. #37 Gonzalo Escobar (TTU) def. Vlad Marinescu (WSU), 6-0, 6-2

3. Andre Stabile (TTU) v. Valentin Mihai (WSU), 6-4, 5-4 (unf)

4. David Cavalcanti (WSU) v. Vitor Manzini (TTU), 7-6 (4), 0-1 (unf)

5. Raphael Pfister (TTU) def. Matheus Pereira, 6-4, 6-1

6. David Gonzalez (TTU) v. Adrian Chermaci (WSU), 6-3, 4-1 (unf)

Order of Finish: 2, 5, 1

Doubles Results

1. #17 Carvalho/Garcia (TTU) def.  #86 Kasper/Mihai (WSU), 8-3

2. Escobar/Stabile (TTU) def. Marinescu/Chermaci (WSU), 8-3

3. Manzini/Gonzalez (TTU) v. Cavalcanti/Pereira (WSU), 7-6 (unf)

Order of Finish: 2, 1

-Wichita State-