Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Open Big 12 Play In Stillwater
April 03, 2013 | Cowboy Tennis
April 3, 2013
STILLWATER, Okla. -
Oklahoma State's men's tennis team will host No. 33 TCU on Friday at 2:30 p.m., marking the Cowboys' first conference match of the season and the Horned Frogs' first match as a member of the Big 12.
OSU (11-8) will also host the 16th-ranked Texas Longhorns this weekend, with a 1:00 p.m. start time on Sunday. The Cowboys are coming off an exhilarating 4-3 victory over No. 67 Idaho after Chris Haworth's clinching third-set-tiebreak win.
Both matches will be played at OSU's DeBois Tennis Complex barring inclement weather. Fans can follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter for live match scores and updated information.
Eyeing the Opposition
TCU comes into its inaugural match as a member of the Big 12 with a 15-5 record and a No. 33 national ranking. The Horned Frogs have won nine of their last ten matches, stemming from an early-season victory over 19th-ranked Stanford. OSU currently holds a 6-2 series advantage and a five-match winning streak over TCU.
No. 16 Texas (12-5) has also been in good form lately, with six wins in the team's last seven matches. The Longhorns, highlighted by three nationally-ranked singles players, have won their past two matches after falling to No. 1 Virginia on March 15. The Cowboys are 3-21 all-time against Texas, with OSU's last win coming in 2007.
Cowboys in the Rankings
Denys Pume and Richard Del Nunzio were placed at No. 70 in last Tuesday's ITA National Doubles Rankings. The two Cowboy newcomers have connected to achieve a 10-2 record on the season, leading an OSU doubles squad that has been victorious in 17 of 19 matches this season.
International Influx
Much of the Cowboys' early season success can be attributed to the team's large percentage amount of international players recruited by Jay Udwadia and Yevgen Bondarchuk.
Those internationals include three Cowboy newcomers who have helped the Cowboys match their best start since 2009.
- Oleksiy Arovin (Ukraine): 4-2 singles record at No. 6...6-1 doubles record at No. 3 with Brady Bohrnstedt...Joined the Cowboys this year after previously playing at Donetsk National University in Ukraine.
- Rifat Biktyakov (Uzbekistan): 9-2 doubles record at Nos. 1 and 2 with Matt Campbell...Recorded match-winning victory against Nebraska...Has accumulated a 43-37 overall singles record in four years with Oklahoma State.
- Matt Campbell (Australia): 9-2 doubles record at Nos. 1 and 2...Joined OSU after reaching the JUCO national championship with Tyler Junior College in 2011 and 2012.
- Denys Pume (Ukraine): 8-8 singles record at Nos. 2, 3 and 4...12-2 doubles record at Nos. 1 and 2.
Doubles Domination
In 17 of 19 matches this season, the Cowboys have gained an early lead by winning each match's doubles point. After being swept in the season opener by 19th-ranked Tennessee, the Cowboys won 32 straight doubles matches before falling at SMU on March 30. The biggest contributors to that category are Denys Pume and Richard Del Nunzio, who have achieved a 10-2 record and No. 70 national ranking together in doubles play.
Reversing a Trend
Oklahoma State, coming off a 7-14 year, is looking to earn the team's first winning season since 2009. Before the 2009 season, the Cowboys hadn't had a losing season since 1999.
The squad finished off its fall season with a combined individual singles record of 17-19, highlighted by Biktyakov's championship run at the Larry Easley Memorial Classic. The Cowboys currently sit at 11-8.
