Men's Tennis Headed to Big 12 Tourney

April 25, 2001

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OU To Tangle With Texas Tech in Big 12 Opener
Oklahoma travels to Waco, Texas, this week for the 2001 Big 12 Championship. The event runs Thursday, April 26, through Sunday, April 29, and is hosted by Baylor University. All matches will be played at either the new Baylor Tennis Center or at the Streich Tennis Courts.

The ninth-seeded Sooners will meet the eighth-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first match of the tournament at 9 a.m. Thursday. OU completed the regular season with a 2-11 overall record and went 0-8 in the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech enters with a 6-14 overall record and finished 1-7 in league play.

Sooners-Red Raiders All-Time Series
The two teams have met nine in current Sooner Head Coach Paul Lockwood's tenure. OU owns a 5-4 advantage when playing Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have won the last three meetings, including a 6-1 win this season in Lubbock, Texas on March 16. The match was OU's first of the season in Big 12 play. Sooner sophomore Chris Mitchell scored Oklahoma's only point in the match, defeating Richard Crabtree, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 3 singles.

If Oklahoma wins its first round match with the Red Raiders, it would move on to face top-seeded and sixth-ranked Texas A&M at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

Big 12 Tournament Information
The Big 12 Conference Tennis Championship is being hosted by Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The tournament will be played in the brand-new Baylor Tennis Center, which includes six varsity courts and three stadium courts. Some matches in the early rounds will be played at the Streich Tennis Courts.

Tickets are $10 for an all-tournament pass, $5 general admission for adults, $5 and $3 for students.

Last Time Out: Sooners Fall Twice on the Road
Oklahoma lost a pair of matches on the road last week, falling, 6-1, to Nebraska and dropping a 6-0 decision to Colorado. Sophomore Matt Ogle scored the Sooners' lone point against the Huskers by way of a 6-3, 6-4, triumph over Lance Mills at the No. 2 singles spot. Ogle and fellow sophomore Chris Mitchell nearly pulled out the win at No. 1 doubles before succumbing 9-8 (4) in the tiebreaker. Nebraska won the five remaining singles positions and all three doubles slots to take the win.

Against Colorado, Oklahoma captured the first set in the top three singles matches but was unable to hold on as Colorado came back to win all three positions. Senior Julio Martinez, playing in his final regular season match, lost 1-6, 6-1, 6-3, to Maciej Dilaj at No. 1 singles. Ogle and Mitchell fell at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively. Mirko Jovanovic downed Ogle, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, and Justin Hunter edged Mitchell, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The Buffs earned straight-set wins at the remaining singles slots for the 6-0 victory. By mutual decision, the doubles portion of the match was not played because of unfavorable weather conditions. The temperature had slipped into the high 30s and it was beginning to rain.

Young Guns
The Sooner men's tennis team is a youthful bunch, with only one upperclassman (senior Julio Martinez) on the roster. OU has three sophomores, Matt Ogle, Chris Mitchell and Tobias Kronlein on the squad. Freshman Evan Davis joined the squad at the semester, as well as freshman walk-ons Mat Price and Blake Mason.

Smart Sooners
Three players were recently named to the 2001 Academic All-Big 12 tennis teams. Sophomore Matt Ogle and Chris Mitchell earned first-team honors and senior Julio Martinez was selected to the second team. In addition, Mitchell is one of only four players from around the conference that boast a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Freshman are not eligible to receive the award, so every eligible player on the Oklahoma roster was selected.

Injury Forces Kronlein To Sideline
After playing in just two matches this season, sophomore Tobias Kronlein was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a fracture in his right foot that was sustained over time. Kronlein, who had been playing No. 1 singles for OU, had surgery on his foot and has begun to rehabiliate it for next season.

Head Coach Paul Lockwood
Head Coach Paul Lockwood is currently in his 14th season as the Sooners' mentor. He owns a 205-132 all-time record and is a two-time Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year (1991 & 1992). Lockwood competed for the Sooners form 1974-1976, serving as team captain during his senior season. He captured four Big Eight titles (three singles and one doubles) and participated in three NCAA Championships while playing at OU.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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