Survive and Advance

No. 16 UCLA

No. 1 Oklahoma

Highlights

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Results

2015 Stats

WACO, Texas – The top-ranked Oklahoma men's tennis team held on to beat No. 16 UCLA 4-3 in the round of 16 at the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Team Championships in Waco, Texas on Thursday.

Despite having to endure four rain delays and an eventual change of venue, the Sooners jumped out to a 3-0 lead before UCLA came roaring back to tie the match at 3-all with only court six left to play.

For the fourth time this season, sophomore Florin Bragusi was the last Sooner standing with the match tied at three.

He is undefeated in that situation. We are proud of that effort, and he is one of those guys you just want to have out there at the end.
Head Coach John Roddick

For the fourth time this season, Bragusi delivered.

“He is undefeated in that situation,” head coach John Roddick said. “We are proud of that effort, and he is one of those guys you just want to have out there at the end.”

Having split the first two sets with Joseph De Guilio, Bragusi held serve to 2-all and then picked up a huge break to go up 4-2. That margin would be all the sophomore would need. Bragusi held serve to take the set 6-4 and clinch a 4-3 win for Oklahoma.

“It is a great feeling, but I just won one match,” Bragusi said. “Everyone did a great job, especially in doubles. It feels great to clinch, but we won three other matches. It is a team victory.”

The Sooners jumped out to an early lead with one of their best doubles performances of the season, despite two stoppages for rain.

On court one, the 57^th-ranked sophomore duo of Andrew Harris and Alex Ghilea faced the 12^th-ranked team of Mackenzie McDonald and Martin Redlicki. The Sooner duo was never broken and took two service games from the Bruins to win 8-4.

The clinching point came at number two doubles where senior Dane Webb and freshman Spencer Papa faced No. 86 De Guilio and Karue Sell. Just like on court one, the Sooners broke UCLA twice and held their serve for the duration of the match to win 8-4.

The Sooners led the match on court three 6-4 and were serving at the time the doubles point was clinched and play was halted.

“It's difficult to come on and off the court like that, but our guys did a really good job of handling that,” Roddick said. “They kind of knew the weather would be like that. It's not something they have never done. With the staff we have here helping out it makes it a little bit easier.”

Having taken the doubles point, OU needed to win just three of the six singles matches to advance to the quarterfinals round.

Papa stretched the Sooner lead to 2-0 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Austin Rapp. Papa coasted in the first set and then took a critical break at 4-all in the second. The Edmond, Okla. native held serve at 5-4 and grabbed his second career postseason victory.

OU went up 3-0 when Ghilea gave the Sooners their second singles win of the day. Facing Karue Sell at number four singles, Ghilea won 6-3, 6-4, and put Oklahoma just one win away from advancing.

With a 3-0 lead and having won the first set in two of the four remaining matches the Sooners looked like they might cruise to an easy win, but UCLA would not go away without a fight.

And fight they did.

I play better indoors and I think the guy I was playing prefers to play outdoors. I think that helped me a little bit.
Sophomore Florin Bragusi

At number ones singles, No. 3 McDonald handed junior Axel Alvarez his first loss of the season in dual play. Alvarez, the No. 1 singles player in the nation and Big 12 Player of the Year, fell 6-4, 6-4. The loss snapped a 23-match winning streak and moves Alvarez to 23-1 on the year.

With the Sooners holding a 3-1 advantage, the Bruins forced third sets on court three and six before lightning caused the fourth delay of the day and forced the remainder of the match indoors.

Once indoors, UCLA grabbed two quick points with wins at number two and number three singles. Those wins leveled the match at 3-all and cleared the stage for more of Bragusi's heroics.

Bragusi was happy to be playing indoors.

“He did a good job,” Roddick said. “I think moving indoors helped him. He was able to get the ball through the court a little bit more.”

“I think it helped me to move inside,” Bragusi said. “I play better indoors and I think the guy I was playing prefers to play outdoors. I think that helped me a little bit.”

Thursday's match marks the first time this season that Oklahoma has lost each of the top three singles matches. The match is also just the fifth time this season that a team has won three singles matches from OU. The Sooners are 3-2 in such instances.

“They played great at the top,” Roddick said. “McDonald played really well. Axel had a couple opportunities that he missed and then the match was over. At a high level that is what happens. (Martin) Redlicki did a good job when we moved indoors. Dane (Webb) had a couple chances to break back and didn't get there. Even Andrew (Harris) had a chance to get to a third. So maybe it was a little unlucky. You would think you would win a couple of those points in there that you need. But our guys down low pulled it through.”

The Sooner's win moves them into the quarterfinals round for the third time under Roddick and the second year in a row. In the quarters, Oklahoma will face No. 8 Georgia on Saturday at noon. Georgia is the alma mater of both Roddick and associate head coach Bo Hodge.

“We saw Georgia at the National Indoors and then we played them in January in a preseason tournament,” Roddick said. “We have a day off after a tough match so we'll be ready to play and I'm sure they will be too.”

“Now we just have to recover,” Bragusi said. “We will have a light practice tomorrow, but we will just recover and get ready for the next match. Georgia is a great team and it will be a great match.”

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

RESULTS

SINGLES

#3 Mackenzie McDonald def. #1 Axel Alvarez 6-4, 6-4

#36 Dennis Mkrtchian def. #7 Andrew Harris 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3)

#118 Martin Redlicki def. #44 Dane Webb 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-4

#103 Alex Ghilea def. Karue Sell 6-3, 6-4

Spencer Papa def. Gage Brymer 6-3, 6-4

Florin Bragusi def. Austin Rapp 6-3, 5-7, 6-4

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

DOUBLES

#57 Harris/Ghilea def. #12 McDonald/Redlicki 8-4

Webb/Papa def. #86 De Guilio/Sell 8-4

Alvarez/Salazar vs. Mkrtchian/Rapp 6-4 unfinished

Order of finish: 1, 2

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Players Mentioned

Florin Bragusi

Alex Ghilea

Andrew Harris

Spencer Papa

Dane Webb

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics