Oklahoma defeated Wichita State, 7-0, to open the 2011 season.
Jan. 18, 2011
NORMAN, Okla. – The 17th-ranked Oklahoma men’s tennis team opened the 2011 campaign by sweeping Wichita State, 7-0, inside the Gregg Wadley Tennis Pavilion Tuesday.
“Wichita State is a good team,” John Roddick said. “They are a better team than when we played them last year. Going out and winning 7-0 is encouraging and doesn’t leave too many question marks in my mind about where we are at.”
The Sooners (1-0) rolled out to an early 1-0 lead after sweeping the doubles portion of the match. OU secured its first doubles victory after 26th-ranked Ionut Beleleu and Costin Paval routed the Shockers’ Vlad MArinescu and Valentin Mihai, 8-2.
Lawrence Formentera and John Warden, ranked No. 38, teamed up to down WSU’s Patrick Stiebinger and Guillermo Gomez, 8-5. Oklahoma newcomers Tsvetan Mihov and Peerakit Siributwong completed the sweep after defeating Wichita State’s Matheus Pereira and David Cavalcanti, 8-5.
Singles proved to be much of the same as Oklahoma won each match in straight-sets.
Paval, ranked No. 57, was the first of the Sooners to claim a victory after he downed WSU’s Steibinger, 6-2, 6-1, at the No. 2 spot.
Finishing close behind Paval was Siributwong at the No. 3 position as he defeated the Shockers’ Pereira in identical sets, 6-2.
Formentera, a sophomore from Colton, Calif., sealed the victory for OU after he defeated WSU’s Mihai, 6-2, 7-5, at the No. 6 spot.
Beleleu manned the No. 1 position for the Sooners and he showed why after routing Wichita State’s Marinescu, 6-3, 6-3.
Two Sooners, Warden and Mihov, rallied to win their second sets after each took their first set 6-4. Warden rallied from a 5-2 deficit to take the match 7-5, while Mihov came back from two sets down to win 6-4.
“In singles we have a lot of young guys that are playing and playing well,” Roddick said. “We had some rough patches but everyone took care of business in straight-sets. So you can never be too disappointed when that happens.
“Hopefully this gives some of these young guys an idea of what’s going on and a little bit of confidence moving forward to the Regional Indoors at Illinois.”
Next up, the Sooners travel to Champaign, Ill., to compete in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, Jan. 28-30. Oklahoma will face No. 36 Notre Dame in the opening round.
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No. 17 Oklahoma 7, Wichita State 0
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Doubles
1. #24 Beleleu/Paval (OU) def. Marinescu/Mihai (WSU), 8-2
2. #38 Warden/Formentera (OU) def. Steibinger/Gomez (WSU), 8-5
3. Mihov/Siributwong (OU) def. Pereira/D. Cavalcanti (WSU), 8-5
Order of finish: 1, 2*, 3
Singles
1. #26 Ionut Beleleu (OU) vs. Vlad Marinescu (WSU), 6-3, 6-3
2. #57 Costin Paval (OU) vs. Patrick Stiebinger (WSU), 6-2, 6-1
3. #70 Peerakit Siributwong (OU) vs. Matheus Pereira (WSU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Tsvetan Mihov (OU) vs. David Cavalcanti (WSU), 6-4, 6-4
5. John Warden (OU) vs. Guillermo Gomez (WSU), 6-4, 7-5
6. Lawrence Formentera (OU) vs. Valentin Mihai (WSU), 6-2, 7-5
Order of finish: 2, 3, 6*, 1, 5, 4
