Men's Tennis Season Starts

Jan. 23, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma men's tennis team opens the 2009 spring season on Saturday, Jan. 24 against Texas-Pan American at 2 p.m. (CT) inside the Quail Creek Golf and Country Club tennis complex.

"We're excited to finally get started," said OU head coach Paul Lockwood. "We have been practicing twice-a-day, every day, before school began."

The Sooners enter the spring season led by a trio of ITA preseason top-125 singles players. Leading the pack is junior Andrei Daescu, ranked No. 44 nationally and No. 5 in the ITA Central Region. Last Fall, Daescu was one of the final 16 players to participate in the Wilson/ITA Regional and National Intercollegiate Championships.

Right behind Daescu is senior Sergey Avdeyev, ranked No. 77 nationally and No. 7 in the ITA Central Region. The Sooners' third ranked player is sophomore Ionut Beleleu, who checks in at No. 122 and No. 10 in the Central Region.

The head-to-head dual against Texas-Pan American is the first of nine home matches for the Sooners' spring season.

"It's still early and I don't expect the players to be in mid-season form, but we are ready to play and are excited," said Lockwood.

OU is looking to improve on its fall season were the Sooners finished with a 27-17 record. Four of six players finished with winning records, led by sophomore Ionut Beleleu's 9-2 mark.

The Sooners next home dual is Friday, Feb. 1. The match will be held at either the Greens Country Club or the new Sooner Tennis complex, the Gregg Wadley Pavillion. Check SoonerSports.com the week of the match for the selected location.

For updated results following the match, stay tuned to SoonerSports.com.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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