The Other Boys of Spring

English trio leads Rice tennis to new heights

Reckling Park looms over Jake Hess Tennis Stadium, which means that Rice’s tennis teams almost literally play in the shadow of their baseball colleagues. Indeed, many Rice baseball fans take a shortcut through the tennis center on their way to the diamond. Next time, they may want to slow down and take a look. The 2002–03 men’s tennis team turned in a remarkable year, bringing home a national championship in doubles, third-place finishes in two other national tournaments, and a sterling record as a team.

Just as a trio of starting pitchers paved the way for Rice’s baseball championship, the tennis team was led by three stand-out players: juniors Richard and William Barker, identical twins hailing from Solihull in the English Midlands; and freshman Robert Searle, from the London suburb of Orpington.

College tennis has two distinct seasons. From September to January, Rice players participate in a series of individual tournaments in which each singles player or doubles pair wins or loses on their own—as at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. From late January to May, college tennis is more like the Davis Cup, as each team plays a series of matches against other schools.

Collegiate tennis also recognizes multiple championship events. For singles players and doubles pairs, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) holds the All-American Championships in October and the National Indoor Championships in January. In May, the NCAA holds a 64-team tournament to determine a national team champion, followed by separate championship tournaments in singles and doubles.

In 2002–03, the Barkers dominated college doubles, winning the National Indoor Championship in November, the first national men’s doubles title in Rice history. In fact, the Barkers lost only two matches all year, both in national semifinals: a tiebreaker at the All-American Championships and a gut-wrenching 7–6/7–5 decision to an Illinois pair at the NCAA doubles championships.

With a national title, two semifinal finishes, and a phenomenal 38–2 overall record, the Barkers were deservingly named the national doubles team of the year by the ITA. In singles play, Richard compiled an impressive record of 27–12. Not to be outdone, William tallied a 27–6 mark and advanced to the round of 16 at the NCAA singles championships. Freshman and fellow Englishman Robert Searle burst onto the national scene in September by winning the singles title at the Virginia Invitational en route to a 28–6 overall record. All three were ranked among the top 30 players in the nation at season’s end.

Rice similarly excelled in team competition, winning seven dual matches in a row and racking up an impressive 19–6 regular season record, earning the Owls a berth in the NCAA team tournament for the second time in three years.

As a team, Rice finished the year ranked 33rd in the nation, with a 20–8 record. The Owls dominated Western Athletic Conference honors, with Richard Barker named Player of the Year, Searle named Freshman of the Year, and head coach Ron Smarr recognized as the WAC’s Coach of the Year.

—George W. Webb III