Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Netters Travel to Tulsa
April 13, 2010 | Cowboy Tennis
April 13, 2010
The Basics
The No. 54 Oklahoma State men's tennis team travels to Tulsa, Okla., Wednesday to face in-state rival Tulsa, ranked No. 34, at 5 p.m. at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
About the Cowboys
The Cowboys are 7-10 (0-4) on the year. OSU has faced 11 consecutive ranked opponents, with this match marking the 12th straight. In those 11 matches, Oklahoma State has gone 4-7, recording wins over then-No. 41 Hawai'i, No. 56 UNLV, No. 44 Penn State and No. 63 UCF. The Cowboys have also defeated Memphis, Sacramento State and Western Michigan in 2010. OSU returns 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.
About the Opponents
Tulsa enters the match with a 14-8 overall record and is on two-match losing streak after falling to No. 5 Texas, 6-1, and No. 42 Rice, 4-3. The Golden Hurricane is ranked No. 34 in the ITA team standings and holds positions in the singles and doubles rankings. Marcelo Arevalo and Ashley Watling are ranked No. 34 and 61, respectively, in the ITA singles rankings, while Watling and Philip Stephens make up the No. 25 doubles team. Oklahoma State is 39-8 all time against Tulsa, with the Cowboys winning the last match in 2009, 5-2.
Stout Competition
Oklahoma State has faced 15 different opponents in 17 matches this year. Among those opponents, 12 are ranked in the latest ITA poll, including six in the top-30. Also, four of the Cowboys seven wins this year have come against teams in the ITA rankings and the Cowboys' last 11 opponents are ranked.
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. Nedovyesov holds a 14-3(3-1) record at No. 1 singles this year, while he finished the 2009 fall campaign with a 12-3 record, winning the ITA Central Regional Championships.
"He is the highest-ranked ATP player we have ever recruited,” coach James 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 opened the 2010 season. Since then, the Cowboys have been ranked in every ITA poll in 2010. OSU holds the No. 54 spot in the latest edition of the rankings (April 13) after being No. 46 in the previous poll. In addition to the team ranking, Oleksandr Nedovyesov and Anton Bobytskyi are ranked in the ITA singles rankings at No. 14 and No. 124, respectively, while Nedovyesov and Aleksey Bessonov are the 18th-ranked doubles team.
Up Next
After the Cowboys take on the Golden Hurricane, they return to Stillwater for the final home stand of 2010, facing Texas Tech April 16, and Baylor April 18. Both matches will are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the DeBois Tennis Complex in Stillwater.
