Oklahoma State University Athletics
Men's Tennis Advances to Big 12 Championship
April 27, 2003 | Cowboy Tennis
The Cowboys (15-3 overall, 5-2 Big 12) fell behind 1-0 after by losing the doubles point. Sophomore Mark Van Elden and senior Jiri Jezek fell to the 18th-ranked duo of Jean Simon and Jose Zarhi, 8-1, at No. 1 doubles. The Longhorns secured the doubles point when Ryan Haymond and Antonio Ruiz defeated freshman Juan Felipe Diaz and sophomore Boris Kuharic, 8-5, at No. 3 doubles.
OSU was able to bounce back and win at the top four singles positions to pull out the victory. Van Elden defeated Simon at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 7-5, and junior Yevgen Bondarchuk defeated Zarhi at No. 2 singles, 6-1,6-2.
Kuharic added the third team point for the Cowboys at No. 3 singles defeating Ruiz, 6-2, 7-6(6). The only match that required a third set was at No. 4 singles where Jezek outlasted All-American JImmy Haney, 3-6,6-2,6-2, to seal the win.
The Cowboys will face top-seeded Baylor on Sunday at 1 p.m. . OSU fell to the Bears 7-0 during league play earlier in the season.
Singles 1) Mark Van Elden (OSU) def. Jean Simon (UT); 6-4,7-5 2) Yevgen Bondarchuk (OSU) def. Jose Zarhi (UT); 6-1,6-2 3) Boris Kuharic (OSU) def. Antonio Ruiz (UT); 6-2,7-6(6) 4) Jiri Jezek (OSU) def. Jimmy Haney (UT); 3-6,6-2,6-2 5) Pete Stroer (UT) def. Tomas Bohunicky (OSU); 6-4,6-2 6) Roger Gubser (UT) def. Jiri Spousta (OSU); DNF Doubles 1) Simon/Zarhi (UT) def. Van Elden/Jezek (OSU); 8-1 2) Stroer/Haney (UT) vs. Bondarchuk/Spousta (OSU); DNF 3) Ruiz/Haymond (UT) def. Kuharic/Felipe Diaz (OSU); 8-5
