Sooners lose heartbreaker, 4-3, to Texas Tech in the first round of the Big 12 Championships.
April 23, 2009
NORMAN, Okla.-- The University of Oklahoma women's tennis team concluded its 2009 season Thursday at the 2009 Big 12 Tennis Championships. The Sooners lost 4-3 in an exhilarating rematch against Texas Tech in the first round.
"Disappointing match today, we played Texas Tech on Sunday and won 6-1. But I expected a much different match today and there were no surprises there," OU head coach David Mullins said. "Texas Tech's a tough team and they've been having very similar results to us all year. Once they got the upper hand in doubles, I thought they believed a lot more, came back fighting hard."
Oklahoma, the 10th seed, fell behind 7th seeded Texas Tech early in the match, 3-0, after losing the doubles point and first two singles matches. The Sooners rallied to tie the overall match score, 3-3, after winning three singles points at the No. 6, 1 and 2 positions.
The final singles match between OU freshman Marie-Pier Huet and Texas Tech sophomore Simone Templeton, at the No. 3 position, decided which team would advance in the Big 12 tournament. Huet came from behind to force the tiebreaker in both sets, but Templeton prevailed in both tiebreakers to clinch the match and Tech's win, 7-6, 7-6.
Sophomore Ana-Maria Constantinescu continued her Big 12 dominance, winning in both doubles and singles. Constantinescu and freshman Kristina Radan won the first doubles match, 8-5, against Texas Tech's Kerryn Potgeiter and Stefanie Peana.
Constantinescu won her 12th and final Big 12 match at the No. 1 position, defeating Samantha Van der Drift for the second time in five days, 6-1, 6-2. Constantinescu finishes the season with a 12-0 conference record in singles, 17-2 overall and ranked No. 102 nationally. Constantinescu has not only won every Big 12 singles match this season, the sophomore standout has won every set in conference play.
The 2009 Big 12 Tennis Championships are being held in Norman, Okla., at the Headington Family Tennis Center for the second time in conference history. The women's second round and men's first round will begin Friday, April 24 at 9 a.m.
No. 10 Oklahoma (9-14, 3-8) 3
No. 7 Texas Tech (10-13, 4-7) 4
Singles
1. Constantinescu, Oklahoma (19-3) def. Van der Drift, Texas Tech (10-13) 6-1, 6-2
2. Kalashnikova, Oklahoma (9-11) def. Garland, Texas Tech (13-10) 6-4, 5-7, 6-0
3. Templeton, Texas Tech (7-10) def. Huet, Oklahoma (1-2) 7-6, 7-6
4. Leitch, Texas Tech (13-3) def. Radan, Oklahoma (0-3) 6-2, 6-4
5. Peana, Texas Tech (11-8) def. Lancaster, Oklahoma (8-7) 6-2, 6-1
6. Eckel, Oklahoma (2-5) def. Coleman, Texas Tech (2-4) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
1. Van der Drift/Garland, Texas Tech (14-8) def. Eckel/Huet, Oklahoma (1-2) 8-6
2. Constantinescu/Radan, Oklahoma (2-1) def. Potgieter/Peana, Texas Tech (6-11) 8-5
3. Templeton/Letich, Texas Tech (10-6) vs. Lancaster/Kalashnikova, Oklahoma (1-2) 8-6
Order of Finish
Singles - 5, 4, 6, 1, 2, 3
Doubles -2, 1, 3
