Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Oklahoma
Red Raiders topple Sooners on the road, 4-2
April 16, 2023 | Men's Tennis
NORMAN, Okla. – For the first time since the 2015-16 seasons, the No. 33 Texas Tech Red Raiders defeated the No. 34 Oklahoma Sooners in back-to-back regular season Big 12 matches as Tech toppled the Sooners, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon at the Headington Family Tennis Center.
It was another great day of doubles as Texas Tech (14-9, 2-3 Big 12) won its 14th doubles point of the season against Oklahoma (13-10, 2-3 Big 12) in the Big 12 regular season finale. The Red Raiders' first victory of the day came at court three when Isaac Arevalo and Olle Wallin dominated their match against Jordan Hasson and Siphos Montsi. The Red Raiders led 5-0, before dropping just one game. Then, held serve without losing a point in the following game to take the match, 6-1.
The point was clinched immediately after Piotr Pawlak and Franco Ribero collected the deciding match at court two over Alex Martinez and Justin Schlageter. The Red Raiders took a commanding, 4-1, lead before the Sooner duo won another game to make it 4-2. However, the Red Raiders held serve, then broke OU's serve at deuce point to win by a score of 6-2. When play was concluded, Dimitrios Azoidis and Reed Collier were ahead of Baptiste Anselmo and Nathan Han at court one, 4-3.
Singles turned out to be a grind from start to finish as four matches went into third sets while both teams also tallied five tiebreakers. The Sooners were able to take their only lead of the day when they won their matches at courts three and four in back-to-back fashion.
Down 2-1, the Red Raiders rallied back to tie things up at 2-all after freshman Lorenzo Esquici completed an impressive comeback in his match to defeat Han at court five. Esquici and Han went back-and-forth in set one as the two would force a tiebreaker at 6-6. Esquici quickly went out to a 4-2 lead, then won the next three points to win set one, 7-6 (2). Han dominated the next set as he went ahead of the Red Raider, 5-1. But, Esquici was never out of it. The freshman played lights out as he would win six of the next seven games to force a tiebreaker, then take the match in straight sets with a 7-6 (7) score.
At court two, Ribero was facing Hasson as the two battled it out for the third point of the match. Tied at 2-2 overall, the Red Raider would pick up a 6-4 win in his first set. But, the Sooner came back to take set two by a 6-2 score and force a third. Ribero and Hasson fought hard, but the Red Raider came out on top after winning the last two games of the match for a 6-4 final set to give Tech a 3-2 advantage.
It would come down to either court one or court six as both matches were well into their third sets. No. 47-ranked Wallin was taking on No. 98 Martinez at the top court when Martinez won set one, 6-1. Wallin rallied back to tie things at 5-5 in set two before Martinez broke serve to lead 6-5. Wallin needed a break to stay in it, which is exactly what he did. The Red Raider would tie it at 6-all to force a breaker, where he eventually won it, 7-6 (5).
The next set was not much easier for the two players. Wallin would lead 4-2, but Martinez won three of the next four games to tie it, 5-5. Forcing another tiebreaker, Martinez took a 5-4 lead in the breaker before Wallin won two-straight points. Leading 6-5, the Red Raider would only drop one more point as he won on an ace, clinching his third match of the year and recording his eighth ranked singles victory, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6).
At court six, Sebastian Abboud and Luis Alvarez were in set three when play finished. Abboud, who was making his first dual singles appearance since March 11 against Arizona State, would win set one, 6-4, before falling in the next set by the reversed score. Alvarez had just went ahead, 5-4, in the final set when the match was called.
The Red Raiders head to Lawrence, Kan., for the Big 12 Tournament starting on Thursday, April 20. The bracket will be revealed as soon as the regular season finishes.
RESULTS
Singles
1. #47 Olle Wallin (TTU) def. #98 Alex Martinez (OU) 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6)
2. Franco Ribero (TTU) def. Jordan Hasson (OU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
3. Siphos Montsi (OU) def. Isaac Arevalo (TTU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Justin Schlageter (OU) def. Reed Collier (TTU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Lorenzo Esquici (TTU) def. Nathan Han (OU) 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (9-7)
6. Luis Alvarez (OU) vs. Sebastian Abboud (TTU) 4-6, 6-4, 5-4, unfinished
Doubles
1. Nathan Han/Baptiste Anselmo (OU) vs. Reed Collier/Dimitrios Azoidis (TTU) 3-4, unfinished
2. Franco Ribero/Piotr Pawlak (TTU) def. Alex Martinez/Justin Schlageter (OU) 6-2
3. Olle Wallin/Isaac Arevalo (TTU) def. Jordan Hasson/Siphos Montsi (OU) 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 2); Singles (3, 4, 5, 2, 1)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,4,5,2,1
Players Mentioned
