Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Face Tough Test In No. 6 Tennessee
January 30, 2014 | Cowboy Tennis
Jan. 30, 2014
STILLWATER, Okla. -
The No. 50 Oklahoma State men's tennis team will put its perfect 5-0 record on the line on Friday when the sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers visit the Greenwood Tennis Center for a 3:00 p.m. matchup.
The Cowboys will face their highest-ranked opponent since battling fourth-ranked Texas in 2011. Friday's match also marks the beginning of a dueling stretch for the Cowboys, as it kicks off a run of eight consecutive matches against ranked opponents.
Upon conclusion of the match, the OSU Foundation will recognize Anne and Michael Greenwood, honoring their contributions to the university and athletic department. Also joining in on the presentation will be OSU President Burns Hargis and wife, Anne, Senior Associate AD of Development Larry Reece, OSU Foundation President and CEO Kirk Jewell and guests of the Greenwoods.
Free pizza will be provided for fans between the men's match and the women's match, which begins at 6:00 p.m. For more updates and information, follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter.
Eyeing the Opposition
The No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers will be arguably the Cowboys' toughest opponent of the entire season. The SEC power boasts the country's top-ranked doubles squad in Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese, the No. 34 and No. 16 singles players respectively, as well the 28th-ranked doubles duo.
Like OSU, the Vols have gotten off to a hot start of their own, running out to a perfect 6-0 in wins over multiple ranked opponents, including ETSU, Michigan State and VCU. The team capped off last weekend by earning a trip to the ITA National Team Indoors in its ITA Kickoff Weekend qualifier championship run.
OSU trails the head-to-head series 2-5, but the Cowboys will look to improve on that record and avenge last season's sweep by the Volunteers in the season opener.
Welcome to the Rankings
After beginning the season unranked, the Cowboys jumped into the No. 51 spot of the ITA Rankings on Jan. 21, and currently sit at No. 50. It's the highest in-season rank for Cowboy Tennis since 2010 after finishing the season at No. 47 in the polls.
OSU now joins the rest of its conference opponents in the national rankings, and will look to continue its strong play to surpass Big 12 foes Baylor (No. 7), Oklahoma (No. 8), Texas (No. 14) and TCU (No. 34), while also holding ground on No. 53 Texas Tech.
Doubles Domination
The 2013 Cowboy Tennis squad saw its doubles team compile a 37-14 dual record, marking a massive improvement for the team and helping OSU begin to develop a reputation as one of the nation's up-and-coming doubles powers.
That success has passed on into 2014, as the Cowboys' doubles squads remain an undefeated 10-0 through five matches in dual play. The team also provided strong performances in the fall despite pairing with new partners, as Oklahoma State sent two doubles teams to the quarterfinal round of ITA's Central Region Championships.
Strength of Schedule
Coach Udwadia has given the Cowboys a challenging task for the spring by scheduling 16 ranked opponents, giving OSU the 33rd most difficult schedule in the country based on number of ranked opponents faced and quality of opponent.
The team's tough slate includes six matches against teams ranked in the top 25, as well as contests against top-10 opponents Baylor, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Seven of the Cowboys' ranked opponents will visit Stillwater, including three in the top ten. OSU is 3-0 against currently ranked opponents in 2014.
Switching Things Up
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has implemented a revised set of dual match rules that will run on a trial system from Jan. 1 to Feb. 17, affecting the Cowboys' first nine matches. The revisions, created to decrease match length time and engage fans, are highlighted by the following changes:
The three doubles matches will each consist of one set to 6, with no-ad scoring and a tie-breaker at 5-all. Once a team has won two doubles matches, the remaining doubles match shall not be completed.
Six singles matches will follow the doubles. Each singles match is two out of three sets, with each set using no-ad scoring and a tie-breaker at 5-all in each set.
All singles matches will be played to completion unless both coaches agree to do otherwise.
There will be no warm-up against opponents before the first point is played in doubles and singles: players will be expected to warm-up with their own team prior to the scheduled match time.
The Future Is Now
The Cowboys bring in the year with a bang by debuting the Greenwood Tennis Center, Oklahoma State's newest athletic facility that will give the tennis program its first new home in more than 30 years. The state-of-the-art complex houses six indoor courts and 12 future outdoor courts, as well as an electronic scoreboard and videoboard.
2014 will also mark the debut of new assistant coach Pepe Cabellero, who joins the Cowboys after serving two years as head coach of the Hong Kong Tennis Association. Caballero takes the team's position after former assistant Yevgen Bondarchuk held the spot for the last eight years.
Taking Their Talents to Stillwater
Head Coach Jay Udwadia's 2014 signing class brings five new members to the Cowboy Tennis squad and is highlighted by several international standouts, as well as last year's top high school player in Oklahoma.
- Sebastian Sachs (Ditzingen, Germany) - posted a 4-4 fall record that included a semifinal trip in the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational. Sachs has also made a name for himself on the international circuit by earning several ATP points and performing well against international competition.
- Arjun Kadhe (Pune, India) - has experience in each of the four Grand Slams at the junior level, including a quarterfinal doubles run at last year's French Open. He has also consistently held a No. 1 ranking in each of India's junior age groups.
- Lucas Gerch (Berlin, Germany) - combined with Vasili Caripi to reach the doubles quarterfinal at last fall's ITA Central Region Championships, finishing the season with a 6-1 doubles mark. Gerch also went 2-4 in singles play.
- Nathan Roper (Edmond, Okla.) - earned Oklahoma's Jim Thorpe Player of the Year award twice after winning three consecutive individual state champions at Edmond North HS. Roper was also named an Army National Reserve Scholar-Athlete, and led Edmond North to team state championships in each of his four varsity years.
- Nicolai Ferrigno (Hvidovre, Denmark) - joins the Cowboys after two successful years at Cameron University. Ferrigno compiled an impressive 22-2 singles mark last year at Cameron, and finished the season ranked No. 18 in ITA's Division II rankings.
