Sooners Top Tide in Tuscaloosa

⁶³Alabama

⁵Oklahoma

2015 Stats

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The fifth-ranked Oklahoma men's tennis team kicked off its first road trip of 2016 with a come-from-behind win over the 63^rd-ranked Crimson Tide of Alabama on Friday.

The Sooners (3-1) took down Alabama (5-3) despite dropping the doubles point for their second consecutive match. Trailing 0-1 after doubles, OU took the first four singles matches to clinch the dual and then took one more to win the match 5-2.

Andre Biro put the first point on the board for Oklahoma. Playing at number six singles against Matthew Rossouw, the freshman dominated the first set, winning 6-0. He continued to cruise in the second set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead before finishing Rossouw 6-0, 6-3 in a match that lasted fewer than 50 minutes.

Junior Florin Bragusi put the Sooners up for good with a win at number three singles. The Ramnicu Valcea, Romania, native took the first set from #106 Korey Lovett in a tiebreaker and then cruised to a 6-1 win in the second to grab his first ranked win of the year and the highest win of his career in terms on singles position.

At the number two spot, sophomore Spencer Papa overcame an early first set deficit to take the first frame 6-4 from No. 123 Becker O'Shaughnessey. Papa would take the second set in a tiebreaker to give OU a 3-1 lead.

The clinching point came at number four singles where junior Alex Ghilea took down Grayson Goldin. Ghilea had trailed early in the first set but would win it in a breaker and then cruise to a 6-3 win the second to clinch the dual for Oklahoma.

With the match in hand, play continued on courts one and five. At number five singles, freshman Maxime Mora overcame a 5-7, first-set loss to Matthew Rossouw to take a three-set win and remain unbeaten on the year. At the top spot, senior Axel Alvarez was locked in a tight third set against No. 66 Mazen Osama after winning the first, but losing the second. The reigning national and Big 12 player of the year trailed 4-5 late in the third and would take a crucial break to send the set into a tiebreaker, but ultimately fell in the extra frame.

Friday's match was the first of two this weekend for OU. The Sooners continue their eastward trek to take on No. 7 North Carolina on Sunday at noon CT. Oklahoma bested the Tar Heels 4-1 inside the Gregg Wadley Indoor Pavilion in 2015.

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

RESULTS

DOUBLES

1.Alvarez/Papa vs. Lovett/Osama - 4-5, unfinished
2. O'Shaughnessey/Goldin def. Siegel/Bragusi - 6-3
3. Richey/Rossouw def. Ghilea/Mora - 6-4

Order of finish: 3, 2

SINGLES

1. ^#66Mazen Osama def. ^#60Axel Alvarez - 1-6, 6-4, 7-6
2. Spencer Papa def. Becker O'Shaughnessey - 6-4, 7-6

3. Florin Bragusi def. ^#106Korey Lovett - 7-6, 6-1

4. ^#92Alex Ghilea def. Grayson Goldin - 7-6, 6-3

5. Maxime Mora def. Danny Kerznerman - 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

6. Andre Biro def. Matthew Rossouw - 6-0, 6-3

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

RESULTS

DOUBLES

SINGLES

Players Mentioned

Florin Bragusi

Alex Ghilea

Spencer Papa

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics