Men's Tennis Hosts Two Matches

April 11, 2012

No. 13 Oklahoma Men's Tennis
Friday's Match	vs. No. 28 Baylor
Date & Time	Friday, April 13 at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday's Match	vs. No. 20 Texas Tech
Date & Time	Sunday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m.
Location	Headington Family Tennis Center
Oklahoma Info	2012 Roster \| Staff \| Schedule
Internet	Live Scoring
Promotions	Friday • (1) Free Ping Pong Table with paddles and balls Sunday • Free Pizza (while supplies last) • Free t-shirts (while supplies last)

NORMAN, Okla. - The 13th-ranked Oklahoma men's tennis squad returns to Norman to host a pair of Big 12 foes in No. 28 Baylor on Friday, April 13 at 6 p.m., and 25th-ranked Texas Tech on Sunday, April 15 at 1 p.m.

“We know it is going to be a tough task and are happy to be playing them both at home,” John Roddick said. “Our guys know they have to go out execute and stay focused. If we do those things then it will give us a good chance to play well this weekend.”

Oklahoma (13-3, 2-0 Big 12) has won seven straight matches and during that span the Sooners collected wins over four teams ranked inside the top 30.

“Baylor has probably been the dominant team overall in the Big 12 for the last 12 or 13 years,” Roddick said. “Tech has really come on in the last few weeks. They had their struggles at the beginning of the season, but they seem to really be coming together as a team.”

Baylor faces Tulsa Wednesday and enters that contest with a 13-8 overall record and is 1-1 in Big 12 action after defeating league-favorite Texas, 5-2, last week.

Texas Tech (13-6, 2-0 Big 12) upended No. 25 Texas A&M last week and will take on OSU on Friday before traveling to Norman.

“We have always had really tough matches with both teams and I expect this to be no different this weekend,” Roddick concluded. “For all three teams the conference title is on the line this weekend and I expect all three teams to come in with the mindset that they are trying to position themselves to win a championship. We will see on Sunday where everyone stands.”

Following this weekends action, OU closes out the regular season in Stillwater, Okla., on Thursday, April 19 at 2 p.m., for Bedlam.

RANKINGS RUNDOWN

The Sooners have four ranked in the updated ITA rankings and are led by junior Costin Paval who is the nation's No. 11 ranked tennis player. Three more Sooners -- Guillermo Alcorta (No. 84), Dane Webb (No. 101) and Peerakit Siributwong (No. 106) -- are ranked among the nation's elite.

Oklahoma began the year with all three of its tandems ranked, but after the first month two tandems remain in the rankings. Paval and Webb check in at No. 8, while Siributwong and Mihov are 58th.

Baylor's lineup possesses two ranked singles players led by Mate Zsiga who is ranked No. 23. Roberto Maytin checks in at No. 95. In doubles, Maytin and Zsiga are ranked No. 64 and Zsiga and Diego Galeano tied at No. 67.

The Red Raiders also have two ranked individuals and two ranked tandems in doubles. Leading the way for Texas Tech is Gonzalo Escobar, ranked No. 45, and No. 98-ranked Raony Carvalho. Carvalho and Escobar comprise the 19th-ranked doubles team, while Carvalho and Rafael Garcia are No. 90.

Dual Match Records

Singles	1	2	3	4	5	6	Overall
1. Costin Paval (Jr.)	12-2						12-2
2. Guillermo Alcorta (RSo.)		9-2	3-1				12-3
3. Peerakit Siributwong (So.)			1-1	7-3	3-0		11-4
4. Tsvetan Mihov (So.)	1-0	2-2	2-6	2-1			7-9
5. David Pultr (Sr.)					3-0	6-6	9-6
6. Dane Webb (Fr.)			1-0	2-0	8-1	3-0	14-1
7. Lawrence Formentera (Jr.)						0-1	0-1

Doubles	1	2	3	Overall
1. Costin Paval/Dane Webb	12-3			12-3
2. Tsvetan Mihov/Peerakit Siributwong		13-2		13-2
3. Guillermo Alcorta/David Pultr			2-0	2-0
4. Davild Pultr/Lawrence Formentera			10-3	10-3

SOONER TENNIS NOTES

FRESHMAN PHENOM
OU freshman Dane Webb, one the nation's most highly-touted recruits, is off to a 14-1 record competing in the lineup for the Sooners. He and Paval have secured a 12-3 record at the No. 1 doubles position and are ranked No. 8 nationally. In singles, Webb began the spring season ranked No. 63 and currently sits at No. 101 in the country.

BIG 12 COACHES' POLL
The Sooners trailed only Texas, who was pegged the favorites to win the conference after the Longhorn's received four first place votes and 24 points, in the first ever Big 12 Coaches' Poll. Oklahoma tallied two of the six first place votes and finished just three points (21) behind their foes from south of the Red River.

PAVAL HONORED BY BIG 12
Junior Costin Paval was ranked No. 4 nationally to begin the season and was recently honored as the Big 12 Player of the Week on April 2. Paval was instrumental in leading the Sooners to wins over No. 13 Texas and 25th-ranked Texas A&M, which helped OU jump out to a 2-0 record in Big 12 play.

The Bucharest, Romania, native opened conference action with a decisive 6-2, 6-3 win over Texas' Soren Hess-Olsen, ranked No. 64, on Friday, March 30. Following his efforts in Austin, Paval downed A&M's 29th-ranked Alexis Kelgou, 6-4, 6-0. In doubles, Paval and freshman Dane Webb, ranked No. 13, also collected two wins over nationally ranked tandems beginning with an 8-5 win over UT's 27th-ranked Chris Camillone and David Holiner. On Sunday, April 1, the OU duo edged the Aggies' Ore and Withrow, 9-8.

DOUBLE THE POWER
Oklahoma has been extremely effective in doubles action this year as the Sooners have won the doubles point in 14 of their 16 matches. OU has won the doubles point in its previous six matches, while its only losses came on the road against Ole Miss and Maryland.

PULTR RETURNS TO OKLAHOMA
David Pultr was a member of OU's team that reached the Elite Eight in 2010. The Czech Republic native went 16-9 in singles action, with the majority of his matches coming at the No. 4 position. In doubles, he and Ionut Beleleu concluded the year with a 9-11 record.

MORE GEORGIA TIES
Bo Hodge was named the assistant coach at OU on Nov. 17, 2011. Prior to Oklahoma, Hodge served as the assistant at the University of Alabama for the past three seasons. A former star for the University of Georgia before pursuing a career on the professional circuit, Hodge earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications at UGA where he returned to complete his studies after several years on the professional tour as a player and coach.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors