Aggies Deal Sooners First Loss of the Year

No. 13 Texas A&M

No. 1 Oklahoma

2015 Stats

Results

Weekend Notes

UNC Preview

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The No. 1 ranked Oklahoma men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season Friday evening, falling to No. 13 Texas A&M 4-3 at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas.

Playing outdoors the for the first time this season, the Sooners fought hard to overcome windy conditions, but two losses in doubles proved too much to overcome.

Oklahoma (10-1) lost at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles to drop behind 1-0 for the fifth time this season. The previous four times the Sooners were able to win four singles and claim the match, but Texas A&M (3-1) would yield just three, and by virtue of the split took the match 4-3.

We fought hard, but couldn't get over the hump. This match will help us as the year goes on.
Head Coach John Roddick

“Texas A&M played a very good match tonight,” head coach John Roddick said. “They handled the tough conditions really well, and they it deserved to win the match tonight. We fought hard, but couldn't get over the hump. This match will help us as the year goes on.”

The Sooners' lone win in doubles came in the No. 2 spot. Having gone a combined 8-9 at No. 2 and 3 doubles so far this season, Roddick made some changes to the lineup. Sophomores Andrew Harris and Alex Ghilea paired for the first time this season, and topped the 13^th-ranked pair of Jeremy Efferding and Jordan Szabo 6-3. It was the first loss of the season for the Aggies in doubles.

At No. 1 doubles, junior Axel Alvarez and senior Dane Webb lost their first match of the season. The fifth-ranked duo fell to the eighth-ranked pair of Shane Vinsant and Harrison Adams 6-4 after giving up a break at 4-all. It was the first loss of the season for Alvarez and Webb who had been 12-0 to this point.

Playing together for the first time this season, freshman Spencer Papa and sophomore Florin Bragusi dropped their match with AJ Catanzariti and Arthur Rinderknech 7-5.

The doubles point proved to be pivotal, as Oklahoma got wins at the top three spots in singles, but dropped the remaining three to earn a split.

At No. 1, Alvarez, ranked No 11, picked up his team-leading twelfth singles win by topping No. 45 Vinsant 6-4, 6-2. Alvarez is now 10-0 in dual play and 6-1 against ranked opponents.

Playing in the No. 2 spot for just the second time this season, Harris, ranked No. 26, added another point for OU with a 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 43 Efferding. Harris moves to 7-2 on the season and 3-1 versus ranked opponents.

Webb scored the Sooners' third and final point of the evening with a win over No. 36 Adams in the No. 3 spot. Webb dropped the first set in a tiebreak but took the next two frames and won the match 6-7, 6-1, 7-5. Webb is now 9-0 in dual play, 4-1 against ranked opponents and 2-0 in three-set matches.

The back half of the Sooner roster struggled Friday night. At No. 4, Papa fell to Rinderknech despite winning the first set. Papa fell 7-6, 3-6, 1-6 and moves to 5-3 in his first season of collegiate tennis.

In the five spot, No. 51 Catanzariti cooled the red-hot Ghilea when he took the match 7-6, 6-1. It's the first loss in dual play for Ghilea, fresh off a Most Outstanding Player run at the ITA National Indoors. Ghilea falls to 8-1 overall and 3-1 against ranked opponents.

Playing in the No. 6 spot, sophomore Jose Salazar fell to Max Lunkin 4-6, 2-6. Salazar moves to 5-4 in dual play.

The Sooners have an opportunity to bounce back when they host No. 8 North Carolina at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman on Sunday at noon. Oklahoma topped the Tar Heels 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships last weekend.

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

RESULTS

SINGLES

#11 Axel Alvarez def. #45 Shane Vinsant 6-4, 6-2
#26 Andrew Harris def. #43 Jeremy Efferding 6-4, 6-1
#31 Dane Webb def. #36 Harrison Adams 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 7-5
Arthur Rinderknech def. Spencer Papa 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-1
#51 AJ Catanzariti def. #63 Alex Ghilea 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
Max Lunkin def. Jose Salazar 6-4, 6-2

Order of finish: 1, 2, 6, 5, 3, 4

DOUBLES

#8 Shane Vinsant/Harrison Adams def. #5 Dane Webb/Axel Alvarez 6-4
Andrew Harris/Alex Ghilea def. #13 Jeremy Efferding/Jordan Szabo 6-3
AJ Catanzariti/Arthur Rinderknech def. Spencer Papa/Florin Bragusi 7-5

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3