Alvarez Kicks Off Sooners' Busy Week

MANSFIELD, Texas – Senior Oklahoma men's tennis player Axel Alvarez kicked off a busy week of tennis for the Sooners on Sunday with a win in the qualifying draw of the Mansfield Futures at the Walnut Creek Country Club in Mansfield, Texas.

Alvarez, the reigning national and Big 12 Player of the Year, received a bye in the first round of the 64-player qualifying draw which set up a second-round meeting with Iznaur Akhmaev of Russia. Alvarez made quick work of Akhmaev, winning in straight-sets, 6-2, 6-2.

The Sooners' ace and current collegiate No. 1 will now face Jimmy Bedneck, a freshman from Baylor, in the third round on Monday at 10 a.m. With a win over Bedneck, Alvarez would secure a spot in the 32-player main draw.

The remainder of the Sooner squad is headed to Tulsa for the week to take part in the 2015 Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships Oct. 5-12 at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center.

Juniors Florin Bragusi and Alex Ghilea will both be in the field. Ghilea, ranked No. 50, won four matches in the qualifying draws of last year's All-American championships. The Neamt, Romania native is 2-1 in singles so far this fall. Bragusi, ranked No. 106, did not play in last year's tournament. He is 1-2 in singles this fall.

About the All-American Championships: The All-American Championships is the second national championship tournament of the 2015-16 season, and this is the 11th consecutive year that the Univ. of Tulsa has played host to the event. Tulsa will also be the site of the 2016 NCAA Championships in May. Singles quarterfinalists, doubles finalists and consolation champions will receive automatic bids to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships Nov. 12-15 in New York.

ITA All-American Championships Schedule
Qualifying: Oct. 5-7
Main Draw: 8-12

Click here for more information on the Mansfield Futures, including results, draws and schedules. For more information on the 2015 ITA All-American Championships, click here.

For more information on OU Men's Tennis, follow the team on Twitter at @OU_MTennis.