Ivanov, Velicka Eliminated from ITA Indoor Championships

COLUMBUS, Ohio Men's tennis senior Alexei Ivanov and junior Marek Velicka were eliminated from the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday after a closely fought match against one of the top five doubles teams in the country.

The Oklahoma duo competed against Boise State's Luke Shields and Thomas Schoeck, who are ranked No. 4 in the ITA preseason rankings, and dropped an 8-6 decision.

Ivanov and Velicka, who finish the fall season with a 6-1 record, had not paired up before the Wilson/ITA Central Regional Championships in October. The tandem is the first Oklahoma doubles team to reach the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships since 1991.

While Ivanov and Velicka competed in Columbus, three other members of the Sooner men's tennis team competed at the UNLV Fall Classic in Las Vegas. In the first flight of singles, senior Tommy Garrison dropped a 7-5, 6-2, decision to Illinois' Ryan Rowe. Garrison then fell into the consolation bracket where he defeated Tennessee's Kiril Tcherveniachki, 6-1, 7-6.

In flight two singles, senior Lee Gregg and Cale Planck picked up wins for the Sooners. Gregg faced Andrew Felsenthal of Alabama and tallied a 6-4, 7-5, win. Planck competed against UNLV's Martin Redelinghuys and won, 6-2, 6-1.

In second round singles, Gregg picked up his second victory of the day against UNLV's Wes Burrows, 6-0, 6-1. Planck was not quite as lucky as he fell in a tough three sets to Juan Crosa of ETSU, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.

For doubles competition, Gregg and Planck paired up against Oscar Posada and Crosa but lost, 8-3. Garrison teamed with Felsenthal to down Jakub Cech and Sam Tadevosian of Fresno State, 8-3. Because Garrison and Felsenthal are from different schools, the match does not count in the ITA results system.

Garrison and Gregg will hit the courts Saturday morning at 9 a.m. PT for semifinal singles play with quarterfinal and semifinal doubles action to follow.

First Round Singles
Flight One
Ryan Rowe (Illinois) def. Tommy Garrison, 7-5, 6-2

Flight Two
Lee Gregg def. Andrew Felsenthal (Alabama), 6-4, 7-5
Cale Planck def. Martin Redelinghuys (UNLV), 6-2, 6-1

Second Round Singles
Flight Two
Lee Gregg def. Wes Burrows (UNLV), 6-0, 6-1
Juan Crosa (ETSU) def. Cale Planck, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3

Consolation Singles Play
Tommy Garrison def. Kiril Tcherveniachki (Tennessee), 6-1, 7-6

First Round Doubles
*Tommy Garrison/Andrew Felsenthal def. Jakub Cech/Sam Tadevosian (Fresno State), 8-3
Oscar Posada/Juan Crosa (ETSU) def. Cale Planck/Lee Gregg, 8-3

*match does not count in ITA results system