Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Tennis Set to Open 2010 Season
January 21, 2010 | Cowboy Tennis
Jan. 21, 2010
The Basics
The No. 25 Oklahoma State men's tennis team is set to open the 2010 dual season Saturday, as the Cowboys take on Memphis at noon in Tulsa, Okla.
About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State is playing its first dual match of the 2010 season. The Cowboys return three letterwinners from last year's squad, which finished with a 14-8 record and reached the NCAA Tournament for a school-record seventh consecutive season.
With only three letterwinners returning, the Cowboys hope to make the most of early opportunities for young players.
"We have three new guys playing for us so I'm not sure what to expect this weekend," coach James Wadley said. "I know we can expect good effort from them and I'm ready to get the season started."
About the Opponent
Memphis will open its dual season Friday, as the Tigers take on Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla. The Tigers finished with a 14-11 record in 2009 and return eight letterwinners from that roster. Oklahoma State owns a 4-0 series advantage over the Tigers, with the Cowboys winning the latest match in 2008, 6-1.
All About Oleksandr
Oklahoma State senior Oleksandr Nedovyesov has already left his mark as one of the best athletes in the history of the Cowboy tennis program. Nedovyesov was named the 2009 ITA Player of the Year and has been the No. 1-ranked singles player for much of his career.
"He is the highest-ranked ATP player we have ever recruited," Wadley said. "He is an unbelievable talent. He has solid strokes in every area. As the defending player of the year, it will be difficult for him this season. Everyone is going to be gunning and going after him. He knows that, and he needs to rise to the challenge. He has risen to the challenge before, and he will again."
Cowboys in the Rankings
Oklahoma State finished the 2009 season ranked No. 25 in the final ITA team rankings, which is where it remains to open 2010. In addition to the No. 25 team ranking, Oleksandr Nedovyesov and Anton Bobytskyi are ranked in the ITA singles rankings at No. 15 and No 44, respectively, while Nedovyesov and Aleksey Bessonov are the 15th-ranked doubles pair and Bobytskyi and Eric West are the 39th-ranked duo in the ITA poll.
Up Next
After their match against the Tigers, the Cowboys will head to College Station, Texas, to compete in the Indoor National Qualification on January 30-31.
