STILLWATER, Okla. - Coming off an incredible upset win over 11th-ranked Tulsa in NCAA second-round action on Sunday, Oklahoma State's men's tennis now prepares for a Sweet 16 match up with sixth-ranked USC at Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center on Friday.
OSU-USC series history
Oklahoma State has never defeated USC, having faced the Trojans three times in program history. The last meeting between the two teams came 24 years ago (1984) with USC handing the Cowboys a 9-0 loss. Prior to that, the two teams met in 1980 (USC won 9-0) and 1982 (USC won 5-4).
USC at a Glance
The Trojans enter the match with OSU as the sixth-ranked team in the country, and are coming off a second-round shutout of Pac-10 rival Cal at USC's Mark Stadium on Sunday. They have been flawless thus far in the 2008 tournament, having defeated Southern 4-0 in opening round action. The Trojans are now 21-4 on the year, including a 6-1 mark in conference play. The 16-time NCAA Champions, making their 30th NCAA Tournament appearance, are coached by Peter Smith, who is now in his sixth season at the helm of the program.
Last Time Out
After pulling out a hard-fought 4-3 win over Denver in the first round, OSU upset Tulsa, 4-3, at TU's Michael D. Case Tennis Center to avenge an earlier season loss and clinch its second-straight Sweet 16 berth. Despite sophomore standout Oleksandr Nedovyesov losing at No. 1 singles, OSU prevailed much in part to big contributions from freshman Igor Sobolta and Anton Bobytskyi. In doubles play, the two freshmen pulled a huge 8-2 upset over Tulsa's Will Gray and Alberto Sottocorno at No. 3 to help clinch the point for the Pokes. In singles play, Sobolta put OSU up 3-1 with a three-set win over TU's Ross Cunningham at No. 6. Cowboy Sophomore Dmytro Petrov clinched the match with a three-set win over Will Gray at No. 3.
Super Sophomore
As a freshman last year, Oleksandr Nedovyesov exploded onto the college tennis scene with a season in which he shot up the national rankings and was the Big 12 co-champion at No. 1 singles. His second go-around has been anything but a sophomore slump, as the Alushta, Ukraine, native was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and Central Region Player to Watch after winning his second-straight Big 12 regular season title at No. 1 singles, finishing 5-1 in conference competition, while compiling a 24-6 record in dual matches during the regular season. He also excelled in doubles play, as he and teammate Nathan Byrnes went undefeated (6-0) in conference play to take home the Big 12 title. Currently, Nedovyesov is the third-ranked player in the country and he and Byrnes are ranked 18th in the doubles poll. The awards continue to pile up for Nedovyesov in his first two seasons. Last year as a freshman, he was named Big 12 Player of the Week on three occasions, he was voted Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, and was a unanimous all-conference selection in singles and doubles. He was also named the Central Region Rookie of the Year as well as the Player to Watch in 2008.
Fabulous freshmen
Oklahoma State has been led all season by senior Ivan Puchkarov and sophomore Oleksandr Nedovyesov, but much of the credit for the team's Sweet 16 berth should be directed towards the freshman duo of Igor Sobolta and Anton Bobytskyi. After going through the usual first-year ups and downs during the regular season, Sobolta and Bobytskyi both picked the perfect time to shine for the Pokes as each has picked up key victories in OSU's first- and second-round wins. Bobytskyi keyed the win over Denver with a crucial victory at No. 5 singles, while Sobolta's heroics came in the match against Tulsa, as he pulled out an upset win over Tulsa's Ross Cunningham at No. 6 singles. The two freshmen also teamed to help OSU clinch the doubles point against Tulsa with a big win at No. 3 doubles.
Key Matchups
No. 1 doubles
#18 Byrnes/Nedovyesov (OSU) vs. #2 Robert Farah-Kaes Van't Hof (USC)
After posting an 8-5 win against the 12th-ranked doubles team in the country, Denver's Adam Holmstrom and Niklas Persson in the opening round, OSU's 18th-ranked duo of junior Nathan Byrnes and Oleksandr Nedovyesov will face an even tougher task as they face the No. 2 doubles tandem in the country, USC's Robert Farah and Kaes Van't Hof.
No. 1 singles
#3 Oleksandr Nedovyesov (OSU) vs. #6 Robert Farah (USC)
Nedovyesov, a sophomore from Alushta, Ukraine, is coming off a tough loss to Tulsa's Arnau Brugues on Sunday, and will look to bounce back against another tough sophomore in USC's Farah.
Familiar Territory
With wins over Denver and Tulsa in the first two rounds, Oklahoma State picked up its sixth and seventh wins of the season at Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center. The Pokes are now 7-3 on the year at the Case Center and look to better that record against the Trojans on Friday.
Last Time in the Tournament
In the 2007 tournament, the Pokes racked up back-to-back wins over Sacramento State and Oklahoma in the first two rounds before falling to UCLA in the round of 16.
