Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Oklahoma State (Big 12 Championships)
Cowboys Mount Another Comeback to Bounce Tech
April 24, 2009 | Men's Tennis
April 24, 2009
NORMAN, Okla. - Fourth-seed Oklahoma State overcame a 3-1 deficit for the second time in a week en route to a 4-3 win Friday morning to eliminate fifth-seed Texas Tech in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championships held at the Headington Family Tennis Center.
With the win, the Cowboys will face top-seeded Baylor at noon Friday. Tech's fate is now left in the hands of the NCAA Championships selection committee as the Red Raiders are 13-11 overall and ranked No. 34 in the country.
Tech began the day having difficulty at all three doubles positions, but eventually mounted a comeback and took the point off wins from the bottom two positions. David Gonzalez and Gonzalo Escobar managed to hold on and edge Anton Bobytskyi and Oleksandr Nikitienko, 9-8 (5), at the No. 3 position. With the score tied one match each, Michael Breler and Sinisa Markovic, after being down 4-1 early, rallied to defeat Mikhail Trukshanin and Igor Sobolta, 9-7, to clinch the point.
OSU would tie the match quickly in singles as Bobytskyi topped Christian Rojmar, 6-3, 6-0, at the No. 4 position, but Markovic would put the Red Raiders back ahead in the No. 2 slot as he defeated Nathan Byrnes in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0.
Following Escobar's 6-1, 6-3 straight set winner at the No. 3 position, the Cowboys would make their comeback. The nation's second-ranked player, Oleksandr Nedovyesov, downed Tech's Raony Carvalho in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to put OSU within a point of tying the match while leading a set at both remaining matches.
Tech's two remaining players, Michael Breler at No. 5 and Milos Kustudija at No. 6, would both try to rally and force a third-set tiebreaker, but both players' attempts failed as Kustudija was defeated, 6-3, 6-4, and Breler fell, 6-4, 6-4.
The loss marked the seventh time this season the Red Raiders had been defeated by a 4-3 deficit. The match was the third meeting between Tech and OSU this year with the Red Raiders claiming a 4-1 victory at the Blue Gray Tennis Classic in March and OSU rallying to win, 4-3, April 17, in Lubbock.
The pairings to the NCAA Championships will be announced at 4:20 p.m. central time, next Tuesday (April 28) on ESPN News. The Red Raiders will watch the selection show at a site to be determined.
No. 5 Texas Tech - 3
No. 4 Oklahoma State - 4
Headington Family Tennis Center - Norman, Okla.
Singles
1. No. 2 Oleksandr Nedovyesov (OSU) def. No. 45 Raony Carvalho (TTU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Sinisa Markovic (TTU) def. Nathan Byrnes (OSU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Gonzalo Escobar (TTU) def. Aleksey Bessonov (OSU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Anton Bobytskyi (OSU) def. Christian Rojmar (TTU) 6-3, 6-0
5. Mikhail Trukshanin (OSU) def. Michael Breler (TTU) 6-4, 6-4
6. Igor Sobolta (OSU) def. Milos Kustudija (TTU) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
1. No. 13 Nedovyesov/Byrnes (OSU) def. No. 14 Carvalho/Rojmar (TTU) 8-6
2. Markovic/Breler (TTU) def. Trukshanin/Sobolta (OSU) 9-7
3. Escobar/David Gonzalez (TTU) def. Bobytskyi/Oleksandr Nikitienko (OSU) 9-8 (5)
Match Notes
Oklahoma State 14-6; National ranking: No. 21
Texas Tech 13-11; National ranking: No. 34
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (4,2,3,1,6,5)
Quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championships
Oklahoma State - No. 4 seed
Texas Tech - No. 5 seed
Players Mentioned
