Sooners Perform at Tulsa Challenger

Sept. 13, 2010

TULSA, Okla. – University of Oklahoma tennis standout Ionut Beleleu and former Sooner All-American Andrei Daescu fell in the opening round of the USTA Tulsa Challenger Main Draw Monday, hosted at Philcrest Hills Tennis Club in Tulsa, Okla.

In total, six current Sooners and one former OU standout competed in the Challenger Qualifying rounds, but only Beleleu and Daescu survived to play in the Main Draw.

Beleleu won three straight matches over John Valenti, current Sooner Syrym Avdukhalikov and Clifford Marsland, to qualify for the Main Draw. In Main Draw action Beleleu fell to Andrew Anderson of South Africa (ATP 466), 6-0, 7-6.

Daescu, qualified for the Main Draw for the second time of his career after defeating Rifat Biktyakov and Marcelo Arevalo (523 ATP). In the Main Draw, Daescu was dropped by Michael Yani (253 ATP) in straight sets.

Returning All-American Costin Paval (1,183 ATP-ranking) fell in the finals of qualifying action to former Oklahoma State standout Oleksandr Nedovyesov (575 ATP), 6-3, 6-1. Sophomore Lawrence Formentera fell to Will Gray in the first round.

Newcomer Peerakit Siributwong (1,011 ATP), a native of Thailand, defeated Gray, 6-1, 6-3, before falling to Fritz Wolmarans (477 ATP), the No. 1 seed in qualifying action.

Two other newcomers, Tzvetan Mihov (987 ATP) and Abdukhalikov (1,138 ATP), competed in qualifying action, but both fell in the second round.

The Challenger Tour is the springboard to fame for the future stars of professional tennis. At these events up-and-coming players compete to earn ATP Ranking points that qualify them to compete at the very top levels of competition.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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