The Texas Longhorns men's tennis team is on a roll in the NCAA Tournament, and they're not slowing down. After a dominant 4-0 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round—a win that marked their 13th straight trip to the second round—the Longhorns turned their sights on SMU and delivered another impressive performance, winning 4-0 to punch their ticket to the Round of 16 for the 12th consecutive year.
The day started with doubles, where Texas knew they had to grind out a tough point. The No. 1 duo of Kalin Ivanovski and Abel Forger set the tone early, securing a 6-4 win to put the pressure on SMU. But it was the No. 2 pairing of Sebastian Gorzny and Lucas Marionneau who stole the show, battling through a hard-fought match to win 7-5 and clinch the crucial opening point for the Longhorns. The energy on the court was electric, and it was clear Texas meant business.
With the doubles point in hand, Texas moved to singles needing just three wins out of six matches to seal the deal. They wasted no time taking control, breaking SMU's serve in four of the six matches right from the start. Oliver Ojakaar at No. 3 singles and Abel Forger at No. 4 singles set the pace, each winning their opening set 6-2 in commanding fashion. Kalin Ivanovski (No. 2) and Lucas Marionneau (No. 6) followed suit, closing out their first sets 6-3 and 6-4, respectively. Not every match went smoothly—No. 1 Sebastian Gorzny dropped his opening set 4-6 to Trevor Svajda, and No. 5 Jonah Braswell fell 5-7—but the Longhorns had the momentum.
Texas carried that momentum into the second sets, with Marionneau, Forger, and Ojakaar refusing to let up. Lucas Marionneau was the first to finish, dominating his match against Noah McDonald with a 6-4, 6-1 victory to extend the Longhorns' lead to 2-0. The team's relentless energy and focus made it clear they were ready for the next challenge.
Next up, Texas will face No. 15 seed San Diego in the Sweet 16, and they'll be back on their home court at the Texas Tennis Center. If today's performance is any indication, the Longhorns are locked in and ready to keep their tournament run alive. Hook 'Em! 🤘🎾