Ivanov and Velicka Advance to Doubles Finals

TULSA, Okla. Oklahoma men's tennis senior Alexei Ivanov and junior Marek Velicka advanced to the doubles championship match at the Wilson/ITA Central Region Championships Sunday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa. The Oklahoma tandem tallied an 8-2 victory over Arkansas' Matt Roberts and Blake Strode on Sunday to advance to the finals.

"We're doing a good job, and we have good chemistry on the court," said Ivanov. "We enjoy the game, and we're having fun out there. We're looking forward to the finals, and hopefully we'll win."

The duo, which has earned a 4-0 record in the tournament, will compete for the doubles title on Monday at 10 a.m.

"They definitely deserve to be in the doubles finals," said head coach Paul Lockwood. "In today's semifinals match against Arkansas, they played some of the best sets of doubles of any OU team in recent years. If they play anything like they did today, they'll be in good shape."

Velicka also competed in the main draw singles quarterfinals on Sunday but was defeated, 7-6(4), 6-2, by Oklahoma State's Daniel Byrnes in the semifinals.

"In the second match, I made too many errors, and that's why I wasn't successful," said Velicka. "Overall, I'm happy that I made it to the semifinals because it's a quality tournament, and I'm happy that Alexei and I will compete in the doubles finals."

The singles and doubles champions will qualify for the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, hosted by The Ohio State University Nov. 3-6.

Main Draw Singles Quarterfinals
Marek Velicka def. Maor Zirkin (Drake), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6)

Main Draw Singles Semifinals
Daniel Byrnes (Oklahoma State) def. Marek Velicka, 7-6(4), 6-2

Main Draw Doubles Semifinals
Alexei Ivanov/Marek Velicka def. Matt Roberts/Blake Strode (Arkansas), 8-2