Texas men’s tennis looked like a team that was in need of a clean reset after a shaky start to the spring season.
The No. 7 Longhorns swept Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7-0 on Saturday at the Texas Tennis Center, not dropping a set and allowing only 19 total games across six singles courts. It was the type of complete performance Texas has been searching for after a schedule loaded with top-tier opponents and a 4-3 start to the spring.
Texas has now won all 19 meetings in the all-time series against the Islanders, including a 4-0 NCAA Tournament sweep in 2023. Saturday afternoon’s result followed the same script, only with less drama or pressure.
The win came at the right time for Texas, which has spent most of its early season in the deep end. Three of the Longhorns’ losses came against then-No. 5 Virginia, then-No. 6 Ohio State, and then-No. 1 Wake Forest.
Saturday, there was no chaos, no tiebreaks, no scrambling. Texas played clean, took the doubles point, and treated singles like a checklist. The afternoon opened up with doubles play, and the Longhorns wasted no time building their momentum that carried through the entire afternoon.
On court two, Texas sophomore Oliver Ojakaar and freshman Mariano Dedura-Palomero delivered the loudest statement of the day, rolling to a 6-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi senior Etienne Marty and junior Omar Suarez. The Longhorns were sharp on the big points, winning multiple deuce games to turn what could have been early holds into quick breaks.
The doubles point was clinched on court three, where Texas senior Jonah Braswell and sophomore Evan Burnett earned a 6-3 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi sophomore Ethan Dasset and senior Josef Zapletal. Texas grabbed the only break of the match for a 2-0 lead and held steady, even after the Islanders fought off a match point at 5-2.
But once singles play began, the Longhorns took full control of the day. Texas freshman Abel Forger was first off the court and didn’t leave any doubt.
At court two, Forger shut out Suarez 6-0, 6-0, while the scoreline was harsh, the tone was earned. Forger opened the match by winning consecutive deuce points, then did the same in the second set as he closed it out with a deuce break.
Texas senior Sebastian Gorzny, who didn’t finish his doubles match with freshman Lucas Marionneau, followed soon after at court one, taking care of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi junior Nicholas Niox Chateau 6-2, 6-2.
The No. 10 nationally ranked senior stayed composed throughout, rarely giving away free games and forcing the Islanders to earn every hold. Gorzny’s efficient performance displayed why he has been the anchor at the top of the lineup for the Longhorns.
Dedura-Palomero clinched the match at court five with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi junior Mikel Garmendia. The German freshman controlled the early rhythm and never let it flip, winning 10 of the first 11 games and then starting the second set with four straight.
From there, the rest of the lineup turned the sweep into a statement. Burnett posted a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 6 over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi sophomore Filip Vacula, finishing the match with nine straight games. Marionneau added a 6-3, 6-2 win at court four over Dasset, breaking first in the opening set and limiting Dasset’s opportunities to settle into service games.
Jonah closed the day at court three, defeating Marty 6-4, 6-2. After securing the only break of the first set, the senior separated in the second with a 5-0 run that took the match from close to over.
Texas will head to the ITA National Indoor Championship, split between Dallas and Waco, Texas, on Feb. 13–17. The Longhorns will find out their opponent, site and match time later this week.
