Sooner Tennis Teams End Season in Big 12 Tournament

April 26, 2001

WACO, Texas - The University of Oklahoma men's and women's tennis teams completed their seasons Thursday in opening round action at the Big 12 Championship in Waco, Texas. The men lost a 4-1 decision to Texas Tech while the women were defeated by Kansas State, 4-0.

In the men's match, eighth-seeded Texas Tech won two of the three doubles matches for the early 1-0 lead over the ninth-seeded Oklahoma. The Sooners recorded the early victory as the freshman tandem of Evan Davis and Matt Price dropped Borut Martincevic and Chris Drumm, 8-2, at the No. 2 position, but the Red Raiders recorded wins in the remaining matches to take the point. At the top spot, Richard Crabtree and Ben Gudzelak downed Oklahoma sophomores Matt Ogle and Chris Mitchell, 8-4, while Costa Yiannakapolous and Scotty George defeated Julio Martinez and Blake Mason, 8-2.

In singles action, Tech won the No. 4, 5 and 6 positions to end the match early. At No. 2 singles, Ogle avenged a three-set loss from earlier this season by pounding Guzelak 6-0, 6-1. Mitchell, playing at the third spot and Martinez, playing at the top spot, were unable to finish their matches because the Red Raiders had already ensured the overall victory.

"I felt we had a slight chance going into the match, but we had a tough season and in the end, the match unfolded like a lot of our other games this season," said Head Coach Paul Lockwood. "In the end, the doubles cost us big."

In women's action, fifith-seeded Kansas State proved to be just too much for the twelfth-seeded Sooners. The Wildcats earned wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to claim the doubles point. Alena Jecminkova and Eva Novotna defeated OU's Viviana Mracnova and Annette Bryntesson, 8-3, at the top spot and Petra Sedlmajerova and Kathy Chuda downed Melissa Mendieta and Tiffany Streeter, 8-4. The No. 3 doubles match was not finished since KSU had secured the point.

The Wildcats finished out the victory with singles wins in the middle of the lineup. Novotna cruised past senior Stephanie Sajbert, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 3 singles. Mendieta fell to Chuda by a score of 6-2, 6-4, at the fourth spot and K-State's Hayley McIver downed redshirt-freshman Tiffany Streeter, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 5 singles. The No. 1 and No. 6 singles matches were retired when K-State secured the win with four points. Mracova, OU's No. 1 singles player, broke into the Intercollegiate Tennis Associaton's Top 100 singles poll this week at No. 84. Sophomore Joni Helleland was playing at the sixth spot for OU.

"We were just overmatched," said Sooner women's coach Mark Johnson. "We needed to go out there and really play well, but they are just too good for us right now."

The women end the season with a 6-13 overall record and a 1-10 Big 12 mark. The men finish at 2-11overall and 0-8 league play.

Big 12 Championship - Opening Round Action - April 26, 2001



Oklahoma Men's Tennis

(9) Texas Tech 4, (8) Oklahoma 1



Singles

#1 Borut Martincevic (TT) vs. Julio Martinez (OU)DNF

#2 Matt Ogle (OU) def. Ben Gudzelak (TT)6-0, 6-1

#3 Richard Crabtree (TT) def. Chris Mitchell (OU)DNF

#4 Costa Yiannakopolous (TT) def. Evan Davis (OU)6-0, 6-0

#5 Chris Drumm (TT) def. Mat Price (OU)6-2, 6-1

#6 Scotty Geoge (TT) def. Blake Mason (OU)6-2, 6-3



Doubles

#1 Crabtree/Gudzelak (TT) def. Ogle/Mitchell (OU)8-4

#2 Davis/Price (OU) def. Martincevic/Drumm (TT) 8-3

#3 Yiannakapolous/George def. Martinez/Mason (OU)8-2



Oklahoma Women's Tennis

(5) Kansas State 4, (12) Oklahoma 0



Singles

#1 Alena Jecminkova (KSU) vs. Viviana Mracnova (OU)          DNF

#2 Petra Sedlmajerova (KSU) vs. Annette Bryntesson (OU)          DNF

#3 Eva Novotna (KSU) def. Stephanie Sajbert (OU)          6-0, 6-1

#4 Kathy Chuda (KSU) def. Melissa Mendieta (OU)          6-2, 6-4

#5 Hayley McIver (KSU) def. Tiffany Streeter (OU)          6-1, 6-2

#6 Natasha Boyoko (KSU) vs. Joni Helleland (OU)          DNF



Doubles

#1 Jecminkova/Novotna (KSU) def. Mracnova/Bryntesson (OU)8-3

#2 Sedlmajerova/Chuda (KSU) def. Streeter/Mendieta (OU)        8-4

#3 McIver/Boyoko (KSU) def. Sajbert/Helleland (OU)DNF

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Tennis Teams End Season in Big 12 Tournament

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