_ctofeatured.jpg "Texas opens the Big 12 Championship with 4-0 win over Oklahoma State.")
Texas opens the Big 12 Championship with 4-0 win over Oklahoma State.
Univ. of Texas at Austin Team Page
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 3 seed Texas defeated No. 6 seed Oklahoma State, 4-0, in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Men’s Tennis Championship on Friday afternoon at Headington Family Tennis Center.
Due to forecasted inclement weather, singles matches were played first with doubles only playing if necessary in a 3-3 tie. The Longhorns won the first three singles matches in straight sets and the deciding match in three sets.
“It was the first time we played singles first, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect,” head coach Michael Center said. “We came out and got some early breaks, and Oklahoma State started to come back. The guys that got the first sets I thought did a good job. They got their matches and got points on the board. Then we had to fight back a little bit and get that fourth point. It was a good effort and I'm excited about tomorrow.”
Freshman Nick Naumann finished first by sweeping Matt Campbell in straight sets at No. 4 singles (6-4, 6-2) to put the Longhorns on the board.
Senior Daniel Whitehead started his match with a 3-1 deficit in the first set against Denys Pume, but came back to win 11 consecutive games for a straight set victory (6-3, 6-0) which put Texas up 2-0.
“It was probably my best match of the season. Mentally, I was engaged the whole time and played at a high level,” Whitehead said. “I’ve been saying the entire season, I want the team to playing the best tennis at this point in the season – I was happy with the way we performed today.”
No. 38 Søren Hess-Olesen held off a late rally from Rifat Biktyakov to perverse a victory at No. 1 singles (6-3, 7-6[6]). Down 6-4 in the second-set tiebreaker, Hess-Olesen rattled off four consecutive points to win the tiebreaker, 8-6, and give UT its third team point of the afternoon.
After losing a close first set, No. 108 Lloyd Glasspool won the deciding match for Texas by defeating Chris Haworth in three sets (5-7, 6-3, 6-4). The match featured eight ties throughout all three sets, including four in the first.
Junior Sudanwa Sitaram and senior Ben Chen did not finish their respective matches after Texas clinched the team win. Both were in the third set.
Texas has now won seven consecutive matches over Oklahoma State and lead the all-time series, 24-3. It was the fourth time the teams met in the Big 12 Championship, with UT holding a 3-1 advantage.
Texas will face No. 2 seed Oklahoma on Saturday at 12 p.m. CT in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship.
Results
No. 3 seed Texas 4, No. 6 seed Oklahoma State 0
Singles
1. #38 Søren Hess-Olesen (UT) def. Rifat Biktyakov (OSU) - 6-3, 7-6 (6)
2. #118 Lloyd Glasspool (UT) def. Chris Haworth (OSU) - 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
3. #89 Daniel Whitehead (UT) def. Denys Pume (OSU) - 6-3, 6-0
4. Nick Naumann (UT) def. Matt Campbell (OSU) - 6-4, 6-2
5. #108 Sudanwa Sitaram (UT) vs. Richard Del Nunzio (OSU) - (4-6, 6-3, 0-1) DNF
6. Ben Chen (UT) vs. Brady Bohrnstedt (OSU) - (2-6, 6-4, 2-1) DNF
Order of finish: 4, 3, 1, *2.
Doubles
1. Chris Camillone / Sudanwa Sitaram (UT) vs. R. Biktyakov/M. Campbell (OSU) - DNP
2. Ben Chen / Daniel Whitehead (UT) vs. D. Pume/R. Del Nunzio (OSU) - DNP
3. Lloyd Glasspool / Søren Hess-Olesen (UT) vs. C. Haworth/B. Bohrnstedt (OSU) - DNP
