Shorthanded Sooners Cruise at No. 29 Tulsa

No. 29 Tulsa

No. 8 Oklahoma

2015 Stats

TULSA, Okla. – Playing without two of its top three singles players, the eighth-ranked Oklahoma men's tennis team bested in-state rival No. 29 Tulsa 4-1 on Saturday night at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla.

The Sooners (6-3), took the doubles point and then won three of the first four singles matches, all in straight sets, to upend the Golden Hurricane (6-3).

"We did a good job putting away a very good Tulsa team tonight ... We played focused tennis and finished sets when we had opportunities.”
- Head Coach John Roddick

“We did a good job putting away a very good Tulsa team tonight,” head coach John Roddick said. “Especially considering we were shorthanded. We played focused tennis and finished sets when we had opportunities.”

Oklahoma continued its recent stretch of strong play in doubles on Saturday, winning the opening point for the third consecutive match and for the fourth time in its last five. On court one, OU's top pair of juniors Andrew Harris and Alex Ghilea won a pair of breaks and eventually finished off Dylan McCloskey and Matthew Kirby 6-4 to deliver the Sooners' first win.

The clinching win came on court three where senior Austin Siegel and freshman Andre Biro remained unbeaten on the year with a 6-4 win over Or Ram-Harel and Dominic Bechard. OU's number three team grabbed the match's only break at 4-all and then Siegel held serve to win the match and put the Sooners up 1-0. Biro and Siegel improve to 4-0 in dual play.

The second point of the night came from court one where senior Axel Alvarez faced off with No. 94 Carlos Bautista. Alvarez, the reigning national and Big 12 player of the year, jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set before winning 6-3, and then easily controlled the second frame 6-1 to take the win and give OU a 2-0 lead.

Not long after Alvarez finished his match at number one singles, junior Florin Bragusi did the same at number three. Bragusi made just his second career appearance at the three spot as the Sooners were without sophomore Spencer Papa and Harris sat out singles. The junior bested Dylan McCloskey 6-3, 6-1 to put OU just one point from the victory.

The clinching point came on court four as freshman Maxime Mora beat Juan Gonzalez in straight sets. Mora won easily in the first and took a critical break at 5-all in the second set before holding serve for 7-5 and the match. The Narbonne, France, native improves to 6-1 in dual play.

The Sooners will be back in action next weekend as they return to the friendly confines of the Headington Family Tennis Center. Oklahoma will face No. 59 Arkansas on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m., and then No. 28 Memphis on Monday Feb. 29 at 2 p.m.

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

RESULTS

DOUBLES

1. ^#37Harris/Ghilea def. McCloskey/Kirby - 6-4
2. ^#52Bautista/Gonzalez def. Alvarez/Bragusi - 6-3
3. Biro/Siegel def. Ram-Harel/Bechard - 6-4

Order of finish: 1,2,3

SINGLES

1. ^#60Axel Alvarez def. ^#95Carlos Bautista - 6-3, 6-1
2. ^#95Alex Ghilea vs. ^#30Or Ram-Harel 6-3, 4-6, unfinished

3. Florin Bragusi def. Dylan McCloskey - 6-3, 6-1

4. Maxime Mora def Matias Gonzalez - 6-3, 7-5

5. Majed Kilani def. Andre Biro - 6-1, 6-2

6. Austin Siegel vs. Francois Kellerman - 3-6, 6-1, 2-1, unfinished

Order of finish: 1, 3, 5, 4