Women's Tennis Falls to Fourth Seed A&M, 4-2

April 30, 2010

AUSTIN, Texas – The fifth-seeded Oklahoma women's tennis team fell in the Big 12 Championships quarterfinals to fourth-seeded Texas A&M on Friday, 4-2.

“Unfortunately we got off to a slow start in doubles and did not do a good job giving ourselves a chance to win that point,” OU head coach David Mullins said. “Singles played out as we expected and A&M did a very good job closing out the match.”

Oklahoma (18-6, 8-5 Big 12) lost the doubles point to the Aggies after losses at the No. 3 and No. 1 positions. OU took a 2-1 lead after winning two singles matches, but A&M's three ranked singles players took control of the match to win, 4-2.

Marie-Pier Huet and Kristina Radan fell to Christi Liles and Sheri Olivier at the No. 3 position, 8-2, while Ana-Maria Constantinescu and Teona Tsertsvadze, ranked No. 38 nationally, lost to 35th-ranked Elze' Potgieter and Nazari Urbina at the No. 1 spot, 8-5.

The Sooners claimed the dual's first two singles points behind dominant wins at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions. Radan defeated Lauren Santacroce at the fifth position, 6-1, 6-0, while Tara Eckel topped A&M's Liles at the sixth spot, 6-1, 6-1.

The Aggies clinched the win to advance to Saturday's semifinals after winning the next three singles points at the top of the lineup.

No. 60 Potgieter topped Huet at the No. 2 spot, 6-2, 6-1, while No. 47 Urbina beat No. 103 Constantinescu at the No. 1 position, 6-3, 6-4, and No. 101 Morgan Frank beat Tsertsvadze, 6-2, 6-3, at the No. 3 slot.

“The loss does not change the fantastic year we have had,” Mullins said. “Hopefully we will get some good news about the NCAA tournament on Tuesday.”

The 2010 NCAA Division I men's and women's tennis selection announcements will air at 4 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, May 4, on ESPNews.

(4) Texas A&M 4, (5) Oklahoma 2
Doubles
1. Potgieter/Urbina (TAMU) def. Constantinescu/Tsertsvbadze (OU), 8-5
2. Frank/Davidson (TAMU) vs. Eckel/Kalashnikova (OU), OU led 5-4, susp.
3. Liles/Olivier (TAMU) def. Radan/Huet (OU), 8-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1

Singles
1. Nazari Urbina (TAMU) def. Ana-Maria Constantinescu (OU), 6-3, 6-4
2. Elze Potgieter (TAMU) def. Marie-Pier Huet (OU), 6-2, 6-1
3. Morgan Frank (TAMU) def. Teona Tsertsvadze (OU), 6-2, 6-3
4. Sheri Olivier (TAMU) vs. Maria Kalashnikova (OU), OU led, 7-6 (3), 4-1, susp.
5. Kristina Radan (OU) def. Lauren Santacroce (TAMU), 6-1, 6-0
6. Tara Eckel (OU) def. Christi Liles (TAMU), 6-1, 6-1
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 2, 1, 3*

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Women's Tennis Falls to Fourth Seed A&M, 4-2

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