Men's Tennis Goes West To Battle Dons And Hornets

March 18, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 72 Oklahoma men's tennis team continues a four-match road stretch as they travel to California for a pair of non-conference matches. The Sooners currently have a record of 0-3 in Big 12 Conference action and an overall mark of 11-3.

OU takes on the University of San Francisco Wednesday, March 19, at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. Match time is set for 2 p.m. (PST). The Dons (11-5) are coming off wins against Creighton, Gonzaga and Southern Mississippi.

The Sooners are in action the following day in Sacramento, Calif., against Sacramento State. The Hornets are 8-9 following a 4-2 win over Weber State. That match is scheduled to begin at Noon (PST) at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club.

Sooners Fall To No. 4 Baylor
Fourth-ranked Baylor (14-1, 3-0) defeated OU, 7-0, last Saturday night at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. The Bears won all three doubles matches to claim the doubles point and an early lead.

In singles, OU's Matt Ogle (Tulsa, Okla.) fought hard against BU's 37th-ranked Matias Marin pushing their match to three sets at No. 3 but was defeated in a tie-breaker, 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6). Senior Chris Mitchell (Tulsa, Okla.) was beaten in straight sets by the top-ranked Benedikt Dorsch. Baylor also posted straight-set wins at the No. 1, 4, 5 and 6 positions.

Oklahoma Ranked 72nd Nationally
The University of Oklahoma men's tennis team are ranked No. 72 in the latest Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. It's the first time the OU men have been ranked by the ITA since closing the 1999-00 season at No. 51 with an overall record of 16-12.

Leading The Sooners
Leading the Sooners in singles are senior Chris Mitchell (Tulsa, Okla.), who sports a 5-0 record at No. 1 singles and freshman Alexei Ivanov (Izhebsk, Russia), who is 5-0 at No. 2 singles. Ivanov also has four wins at No. 1 singles while Mitchell also has four victories at No. 2 singles.

Mitchell and freshman Tommy Garrison (Enid, Okla.) have combined for a 7-2 mark at No. 1 doubles this spring. The duo has been solid since paring up last Fall. They have an overall record of 14-4 this year.

Head Coach Paul Lockwood
Paul Lockwood is In his 16th year as OU's head men's tennis coach. Lockwood has experienced success with his teams over the years both on and off the court. He has compiled a 230-147 (.610) overall record and claimed the Big Eight Conference title in 1992. Lockwood was named the Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1992 for his outstanding efforts. Lockwood's teams also earned five consecutive Academic ITA All-America honors from the 1996-97 season to the 2000-2001 season.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Men's Tennis Goes West To Battle Dons And Hornets

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