Sooners Advance to Sunday's Second Round

Oklahoma

Montana

NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 2 Oklahoma advanced to the second round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship after eliminating Montana 4-0 Saturday in the tournament's opening round at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

In doubles, Guillermo Alcorta and Andrew Harris quickly ousted Mikolaj Caruk and Tomasz Soltyka 8-2. Axel Alvarez and Dane Webb followed by putting away Ethan Vaughn and Semion Branzburg 8-3.

“Our doubles at 1 and 2 was really good,” head coach John Roddick said. “We were playing ok at 3. I would have liked to seen them finish, but in a clinch-clinch that's what happens.”

Roddick's team won three singles matches to seal the match.

Playing in the No. 3 spot, Webb struck first, defeating Branzburg in straight sets 6-0, 6-1. Alex Ghilea kept his composure through three second set break points to beat Peter Mimnagh-Fleming 6-3, 6-1.

Andrew Harris clinched OU's first round triumph. The freshman cruised to a 6-0 first set and topped Soltyka with a 6-4 second set.

“It's always hard when you win a first set 6-0 or 6-1,” Roddick said. “It seems so easy and it always gets tougher. It's a very weird momentum shift that goes on. So for them to close their guys out and get the win, that's a pretty good effort.”

OU faces Harvard in the regional championship Sunday at 2 p.m. The Crimson eliminated the Auburn Tigers 4-1 in Saturday's other first-round match.

For more on OU men's tennis follow @OU_MTennis on Twitter.

Oklahoma, 4 Montana 0
Singles:
1.     Guillermo Alcorta (OU) vs. Mikolaj Caruk (UM) dnf
2.     Axel Alvarez (OU) vs. Andrew Warren (UM) dnf
3.     Dane Webb (OU) def. Semion Branzburg (UM) 6-0, 6-1
4.     Andrew Harris (OU) def. Tomasz Soltyka 6-0, 6-4
5.     Austin Siegel (OU) vs. Ethan Vaughn (UM) dnf
6.     Alex Ghilea (OU) def. Peter Mimnagh- Fleming (UM) 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 6, 4*

Doubles:
1.     Alvarez/Webb (OU) def. Vaughn/ Branzburg (UM) 8-3
2.     Alcorta/Harris (OU) def. Caruk/Soltyka (UM) 8-2
3.     Ghilea/Papac (OU) vs. Warren/Braun (UM) dnf
Order of finish: 2, 1

Time of Match: 2:01
Attendance: 328