The No. 47 TCU men’s tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to No. 33 Tulsa at the Case Tennis Center Sunday, but the No. 48 doubles team of Emanuel Brighiu and Christopher Price picked up their highest-ranked win of the season in the Frogs’ loss.

“We got to play in a tough environment on the road for the first time this season,” TCU head coach David Roditi said. “After going through a match like today, I think it will help prepare us for the rest of the season, as players and coaches. This should help us to get better in tough conditions at home and on the road. I’m proud of our guys for fighting hard and I know all of this is going to get us ready for conference play. There are some good things that are happening and I know that when we start getting on a roll, things will be good for us.”

TCU jumped on the Golden Hurricane early, storming to take the doubles point. The Frogs have now earned the doubles advantage in six of their eight dual matches this spring.

The team of Cameron Nash and Slah Mbarek picked up the first win of the day, taking down Tulsa’s No. 53 ranked tandem of Grant Ive and Alastair Barnes, 8-4. After the Golden Hurricane took the match at the No. 3 court, Brighiu and Price sealed the deal for the Frogs at the top spot, dismantling Tulsa’s No. 19 ranked duo of Ashley Watling and Clifford Marsland, 8-3. The victory is the second-highest ranked win for the duo since teaming up in 2010, behind a 9-7 win over then No. 3 Austin Krajicek and Jeff Dadamo of Texas A&M last April.

“Brighui and Price are playing with poise and lots of energy,” Roditi said. “They are complimenting each other very well on the court.”

In the singles portion, UT evened the team tally as Watling made quick work of Mbarek from the No. 2 court, earning the win by the score of 6-1, 6-1. Barnes would later give his team a 2-1 lead, defeating Nash at the No. 6 court, 6-2, 6-4.

TCU bounced back to even the team tally after junior Daniel Sanchez posted his third win of the season against Ive at the No. 5 position, 6-4, 6-4. Sanchez is now 3-2 this spring, playing primarily in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots for the Frogs.

Tulsa would then rally off a win at the fourth court, giving Brighiu the chance to extend the evening for TCU. After dropping the opening set against No. 40 Marcelo Arevalo, Brighiu lost a tough tiebreaker in the second set to fall, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

TCU will return to the Case Tennis Center Monday to take on Wichita State Monday. First serve is set for 11 a.m.

No. 38 Tulsa (8-3) def. No. 47 TCU (2-6), 5-2

Case Tennis Center | Tulsa, Okla.

SINGLES

1. #40 Marcelo Arevalo (TLS) def. Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)

2. #94 Ashley Watling (TLS) def. Slah Mbarek (TCU) 6-1, 6-1

3. #114 Clifford Marsland (TLS) def. Christopher Price (TCU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

4. #117 Japie De Klerk (TLS) def. Zach Nichols (TCU) 7-5, 6-2

5. Daniel Sanchez (TCU) def. Grant Ive (TLS) 6-4, 6-4

6. Alastair Barnes (TLS) def. Cameron Nash (TCU) 6-2, 6-4

Order of Finish: 2, 6, 5, 4, 1*, 3

DOUBLES

1. #48 Brighiu/Price (TCU) def. #19 Watling/Marsland (TLS) 8-3

2. Cameron Nash/Slah Mbarek (TCU) def. #53 Ive/Barnes (TLS) 8-4

3. Arevalo/De Klerk (TLS) def. Nichols/Sanchez (TCU) 8-6

Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1*