OU Men's Tennis Preparing For ORU And No. 72 Michigan State

March 5, 2003

NORMAN, OK - The Oklahoma men's tennis team returns home to the OU Headington Family Tennis Center this week for a pair of matches against regional opponent Oral Roberts on Friday, March 7, and No. 72 Michigan State on Saturday, March 8. Match time is set for 2 p.m. on Friday and Noon on Saturday. The Sooners are 8-2 on the season.

ORU is 2-9 on the season and is coming off a 7-0 loss to Oklahoma State. OU picked up a road win against the Golden Eagles on Feb. 13 with a 6-1 victory.

The Sooners haven't faced MSU since 1997 when OU was victorious, 4-3, at the UNLV Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. The Spartans are 9-3 this season after falling to No. 27 Arkansas, 5-2, in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 4. MSU goes up against No. 56 Tulsa on Thursday, March 6, before coming to Norman.

Sooners Drop First Big 12 Match To No. 54 Texas Tech
The Sooners lost their first conference match of the season to No. 54 Texas Tech, 6-1, last Saturday at the McLeod Tennis Center in Lubbock, Texas. OU started strong, claiming the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and 3 positions.

Senior Chris Mitchell (Tulsa, Okla.) and freshman Tommy Garrison (Enid, Okla.) beat Tech's Devin Wakeford and Diederik de Groot, 8-6, at No. 1 doubles, while senior Matt Ogle (Tulsa, Okla.) and sophomore Brad Prigmore (Wichita Falls, Texas) secured the doubles point with an 8-5 win over Red Raiders Michael Innerebner and Jonathan John.

Tech took control in singles play claiming all six matches in straight sets. OU sophomore Silviu Tanasoiu (Sibiu, Romania) fought hard but lost two tie-breakers to Jonathan Walker, 7-6, 7-6, while Mitchell fell in straight sets to No. 97 Alfonso Perez, 6-2, 6-2.

Duo Still Undefeated In Match Play
Garrison and Mitchell have been solid at the No. 1 doubles position. The duo is 5-0 this spring at No. 1 doubles and 12-2 overall.

Head Coach Paul Lockwood
In his 16th year as the head men's tennis coach, Paul Lockwood's Sooners are 8-2 on the season. Lockwood has experienced success with his teams over the years both on and off the court. He has compiled a 227-146 (.609) 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.

OU Headington Family Tennis Center
After more than three seasons without a home court, the men's tennis team is playing its second season at the OU Headington Family Tennis Center. The Sooners officially dedicated their new facility on April 13, 2002, prior to OU's match with Colorado. The Headington Family Tennis Center is comprised of 12 NCAA Championship courts, NCAA Championship lighting and permanent seating for 800 spectators.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Men's Tennis Preparing For ORU And No. 72 Michigan State

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