FORT WORTH, TEXAS (December 11, 2008) The TCU men’s tennis team has added two players who will join the squad for the 2009 spring season, Head Coach Dave Borelli announced Thursday. One player, Christopher Price, is a transfer from another major college program, while the other, Slah Mbarek, is a freshman who signed a National Letter of Intent with the Horned Frogs earlier this fall.
The two players add to a solid class of newcomers already on campus that was signed last spring.
“We are excited about both of these additions to our team,” Borelli said. “Along with who we brought in last year, I think they will help us to be an improved team overall this season.”
Price, a 6-4 left-handed sophomore from Houston, transferred to TCU from Duke, where he played at the No. 1 doubles position as a freshman last season. He finished the year with a 17-16 overall record in doubles, including a 6-5 record in ACC matches, and paired with teammate Reid Carleton to form the nation’s No. 36-rated doubles tandem earlier this fall. Also a solid student, Price was an ACC honor roll student while at Duke.
Prior to his time with the Blue Devils, Price was a five-star high school recruit from the Houston area who was rated as high as No. 26 on some college recruiting lists and No. 22 in the TennisRPI rankings. He finished third in the Texas state championships in 2003 after winning both regional and district championships. In addition to his success on the state scene, Price also logged considerable experience on the national level. He recorded a 27-17 overall record in national competition as a prep player.
“Christopher was a significant pick-up for us,” Borelli said. “Several of the top teams in Texas were recruiting him. His addition to our doubles play helps us in an area where we had already showed major improvements in the fall. The serve-and-volley style he plays with will provide us with a big advantage during the conference season as we travel to play several teams in high-altitude locations. He has the type of talent where he could be one of our top players, and bringing him into the mix changes how we will be able to make up our entire lineup. He also is solid in the classroom, so we feel he is a great fit here at TCU.”
In addition to Price, TCU also will gain the abilities of Mbarek this spring. A 5-10 righthander from Tunis, Tunisia, Mbarek reached a combined world ITF junior singles ranking as high as No. 95, as well as being ranked as high as No. 1,377 in the men’s ATP singles rankings.
Mbarek’s on-court accomplishments on the world junior scene include reaching the finals of the Stella Artois Junior Championships. He also has earned experience representing his own country on the international level by playing for Tunisia in the Davis Cup.
“Slah is a great high-impact player who will make us a very deep team this year,” Borelli said. “He is one of the fastest players I have ever seen, has great hands and a huge forehand (shot). We fought against three top-10 ranked programs for his commitment, and we believe he has a chance to have a great career here at TCU.”
TCU opens its spring season Jan. 24, when it travels south to Houston to take on former Southwest Conference rival Rice.
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