FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 18 Oklahoma men's tennis team picked up a road win Saturday at Arkansas, rallying in singles to defeat the Razorbacks 5-2.
OU (7-2) gave up the doubles point for the second straight match, but won five singles contests to capture the contest.
In doubles, No. 33 Spencer Papa and Jake Van Emburgh dropped to Oscar Mesquida and Adam Sanjurjo at the top spot 6-3. Jochen Bertsch and Max Stewart fell to Jose Alonso and Alex Reco 6-3 on court six. When play was halted, Alex Bakshi and Ferran Calvo were just a game away from closing out Enrique Paya and Maxin Verboven on court two, leading 5-3.
In singles, Van Emburgh was the first Sooner off the court, rolling past Arkansas' Josh Howard-Tripp 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 2 line. Van Emburgh jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first frame before Howard-Tripp got on the board. The second set saw early ties up to the 3-3 mark, but Van Emburgh ran away with it.
Unranked Bakshi made quick work of No. 97 Mesquida, rolling to a 6-3, 6-2 victory at the top spot. The win was good for his second over a ranked opponent this season.
Bertsch clinched the win when he took down Pedro Alonso 6-4, 7-5. Bertsch cruised through the first set before Alonso fired back in the second to tie it at every game up to five. Bertsch won the next two to clinch his first match of the year.
Mason Beiler tacked on another win for the Sooners when he downed Paya on court five 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 [7]. Beiler dropped the first, but held on to claim an extended second set. The freshman moves to 4-1 on the year and 3-0 at the No. 5 line.
On court six, Stewart suffered his first loss when he fell to Jose Alonso. The sophomore held on for a 7-5 win in the first set, but gave up the second after a breaker 7-6 (3). Alonso won the 10-point tiebreaker 1-0 [6].
Up Next
The Sooners head to Florida for a pair of matches at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. OU will face Mississippi State on Feb. 23 before meeting Kentucky on Feb. 24. The Mississippi State match will be contested as part of the 2019 USTA National Campus Collegiate Series, which showcases some of the premier schools in the nation at the Collegiate Center.
Results
Singles Results
1. Alex Bakshi (OU) def. No. 97 Oscar Mesquida (ARK), 6-3, 6-3
2. Jake Van Emburgh (OU) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (ARK), 6-2, 6-4
3. Ferran Calvo (OU) def. Alex Reco (ARK), 7-5, 6-4
4. Jochen Bertsch (OU) def. Pedro Alonso (ARK), 6-4, 7-5
5. Mason Beiler (OU) def. Enrique Paya (ARK), 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 [7]
6. Jose Alonso (ARK) def. Max Stewart (OU), 5-7, 7-6 (3), 1-0 [6]
Doubles Results
1. Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (ARK) def. No. 33 Spencer Papa/Jake Van Emburgh (OU), 6-3
2. Enrique Paya/Mazim Verboven (ARK) vs. Alex Bakshi/Ferran Calvo (OU), 5-3, unfinished
3. Jose Alonso/Alex Reco (ARK) def. Jochen Bertsch/Max Stewart (OU), 6-3
Order of finish: Singles (2,1,3,4,5,6); Doubles (1,2)
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