First Round Rout

New Mexico State

No. 1 Oklahoma

Highlights

Photos

Results

2015 Stats

NORMAN – The top-ranked Oklahoma men's tennis team advanced to the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Tennis Team Championships on Friday with a 4-0 win over New Mexico State in the first round of play at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

Oklahoma won the doubles point with wins at number one and three doubles, and then dominated in singles to sweep the Aggies.

I think we handled the situation well. We struggled a bit in doubles but for the rest of the matches we played great and I think we dominated today.
Junior Axel Alvarez

The match, which was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. outdoors, didn't start until 6:30 p.m. and was moved indoors as severe weather moved through the area forcing delays. At one point weather forced all in attendance to take shelter inside the nearby Lloyd Noble Center.

“The same thing happened during practice the other day,” head coach John Roddick said. “It seemed eerily familiar. It made the warm-up fairly scattered. We just deal with it and try to play the best we can.”

“We have been playing outdoors for the last half of the season so that was a change to come indoors,” junior Axel Alvarez said. “I think we handled the situation well. We struggled a bit in doubles but for the rest of the matches we played great and I think we dominated today.”

When play finally began, the Sooners jumped out to a 1-0 lead by taking two wins in doubles to secure the point.

In the number one spot sophomores Andrew Harris and Alex Ghilea cruised to a dominant 8-0 win over Christopher Goncalves and Patrick Pfister. The All-Big 12 duo has now won seven of its last eight matches.

Oklahoma clinched the doubles point when Alvarez and sophomore Jose Salazar broke the serve of Germain Degardin and Paul Danele at 7-6 to win 8-6. Alvarez and Salazar have paired for OU at the number three spot in the last three matches and are now 2-1.

“One was really good today,” Roddick said. “Not dropping a game is not easy to do. Our doubles has gotten a lot better through out the year. “

Alvarez, the Big 12 Player of the Year, put the Sooners up 2-0 when he completed a dominant performance against Strahinja Trecakov, winning 6-0, 6-0. Top-ranked Alvarez remains unbeaten in dual play with 22 wins.

The rout continued when Ghilea finished off Patrick Pfister 6-2, 6-2 to give Oklahoma a 3-0 lead. Ghilea improves to 9-2 at the number four singles position.

The clinching point came on court six where Salazar bested Germain Degardin 6-2, 6-1 to give OU the win and a spot in the round of 32. Salazar filled in for sophomore Florin Bragusi and picked up his 10th win of the season

The Sooners had won all six first sets and were leading in the second sets on all three remaining courts when the match was clinched. With the win, Oklahoma improves to 13-0 in indoor matches this season.

The Sooners will take on No. 28 Northwestern tomorrow at 1 p.m. with a berth in the round of 16 on the line. Oklahoma played Northwestern earlier this year during the ITA Kickoff Weekend and topped the Wildcats 4-1 after dropping the doubles point.

The match will be broadcast live on FOX Sports Oklahoma and will also be available on the FOX Sports Go app.

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

RESULTS

SINGLES
#1 Axel Alvarez def. Strahinja Trecakov 6-0, 6-0
#7 Andrew Harris def. Paul Denele 6-2, 5-1 unfinished
#44 Dane Webb vs. Christofer Goncalves 6-3, 4-3, unfinished
#104 Alex Ghilea def. Patrick Pfister 6-2, 6-2
Spencer Papa vs. Liam Goldberg 6-2, 4-4, unfinished
Jose Salazar vs. Germain Degardin 6-2, 6-1

DOUBLES
Andrew Harris/Alex Ghilea def. Strahinja Trecakov/Liam Goldberg 8-0
Christofer Goncalves/Patrick Pfister def. Spencer Papa/Dane Webb 8-4
Jose Salazar/Axel Alvarez def. Germain Degardin/Paul Denele 8-6