21st-ranked Oklahoma claimed its third-straight victory over a top-50 program Sunday, after edging No. 42 Rice, 4-3.
April 11, 2010
HOUSTON – No. 21 Oklahoma won its third-straight match over a top-50 team after edging 42nd-ranked Rice Sunday, 4-3, at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium in Houston.
“We competed well today in spots, but we have to focus a bit better as a team,” OU head coach John Roddick said. Overall, we had some good performances, especially at the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. All-in-all it was a solid road win.”
The Sooners (15-4, 1-2) began action in doubles play where OU claimed wins at the No. 1 and 3 positions to gain the point and 1-0 lead over Rice (11-10).
Senior Blake Boswell and freshman Lawrence Formentera wasted little time as the duo routed the Owls' Oscar Podlewski and Dennis Polyakov at the No. 3 position, 8-1. The Sooner tandem boasts a team best 10-3 record and have won six of their last seven matches.
OU clinched the doubles point at the No. 1 spot after senior Andrei Daescu and freshman Costin Paval, No. 47 nationally, took down Rice’s No. 62-ranked Christian Saravia and Michael Nuesslein, 8-6. With the win, Daescu and Paval claimed their third-straight win over a ranked opponent and have defeated three pairs ranked in the top-30 and five total in the top 62.
In the singles portion OU found its niche at the No. 3, 6, and 4 positions to clinch a 4-3 victory over Rice.
64th-ranked Paval (14-3) was the first to close out action at the No. 3 spot after he disposed of the Owls’ Sam Garforth-Bles in straight-sets to give the Sooners a 2-0 advantage.
Sophomore George Chanturia (11-5) put OU up 3-0 after he put away Rice’s Isamu Tachibana in identical sets, 6-3, at the No. 6 position.
OU dropped its first match at the No. 5 position where Formentera (14-5) fell to the Owls' Saravia.
The Owls came within one of the Sooners, 3-2, after 47th-ranked Bruno Rosa dropped OU’s No. 23-ranked Daescu at the No. 1 spot.
Junior David Pultr clinched the match for the Sooners at the No. 4 position after he trounced Rice’s Podlewski, 6-2, 6-4.
Roddick’s squad returns to Big 12 action hosting No. 9 Baylor Friday, April 16 at 6 p.m. and No. 14 Texas Tech Sunday, April 18 at 1 p.m.
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No. 21 Oklahoma 4, No. 42 Rice 3
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Singles
1. #47 Bruno Rosa (Rice) def. #23 Andrei Daescu (OU), 6-2, 6-2
2. Michael Nuesslein (Rice) def. #54 Ionut Beleleu (OU), 6-0, 3-6, 6-4
3. #64 Costin Paval (OU) def. Sam Garforth-Bles (Rice), 6-2, 6-4
4. David Pultr (OU) def. Oscar Podlewski (Rice), 6-2, 6-4
5. Christian Saravia (Rice) def. Lawrence Formentera (OU), 6-4, 6-4
6. George Chanturia (OU) def. Isamu Tachibana (Rice), 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 6, 5, 1, 4*, 2
Doubles
1. #47 Daescu/Paval (OU) def. #62 Saravia/Nuesslein (Rice), 8-6
2. #52 Rosa/Tachibana (Rice) def. Beleleu/Pultr (OU), 8-5
3. Blake Boswell/Formentera (OU) def. Dennis Polyakov/Podlewski (Rice), 8-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
