Oklahoma State University Athletics
Friday, January 29
Stillwater, OK
6:00 P.M.
Oklahoma State University
4
vs
2
No. 11 Wake Forest
Finzelberg Leads Cowboys Past No. 11 Wake Forest
January 29, 2016 | Cowboy Tennis
STILLWATER - Oklahoma State's men's tennis squad upset No. 11 Wake Forest on Friday, with Cowboy Lukas Finzelberg clinching the nail-biting 4-2 victory in front of a packed crowed inside the Greenwood Tennis Center.
The win marks the third-ranked opponent the Cowboys have beaten this season and their first victory over a top-15 opponent since 2014, when the Pokes beat No. 7-ranked Tennessee at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
"Today was about getting over the hump and getting a nice win to start the season," coach Jay Udwadia said. "It was nice to capitalize it at home."
To start the match, the Cowboys took the hard-earned doubles point after close matches on all courts. Oklahoma State's No. 9-ranked duo Arjun Kadhe/Julian Cash won their doubles match against No. 25-ranked Skander Mansouri/Christian Seraphim on court one to get the crowd going at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
After a roar from court one, Pokes Temur Ismailov/Lucas Gerch took the last two points in their battle with Wake Forest's Jon Ho/Petros Chrysochos to secure the doubles point for Oklahoma State, winning their match, 6-4.
"It's a lot easier to win three singles points, than four, especially when you're playing the top teams in the country," Udwadia said. "I love how the team is playing with great energy and good spirit in doubles because it reflects our team."
Another victory in doubles marks the sixth-straight doubles point the Cowboys have won this year, as they are undefeated in doubles play this season (6-0).
Heading into singles play with a 1-0 lead, the Cowboys needed to win only three of six matches to clinch the victory, but it wasn't going to come easy.
No. 26-ranked singles player Mansouri got the Demon Deacons going with a straight-set win on court two over No. 68-ranked Julian Cash, 6-1, 6-4. It was Cash's first singles loss of the season.
After Gerch fell on court four, Oklahoma State trailed by one point with four matches remaining and the Cowboys looked to two-time All-American Kadhe. The junior stepped up to the challenge by answering the Wake Forest victories with one of his own on court three, as he beat Romain Bogaerts to knot the score a two.
"I played pretty solid, but I can say everyone else gave 100 percent and that makes me really happy," Kadhe said. "We needed to beat a top-15 team because mentally it helps takes everyone's confidence to another level."
With all the momentum going to the Cowboys, Tristan Meraut was one set away from victory after winning the first set tiebreak, 7-4. In the second set, Meraut exchanged games with Wake Forest's Dennis Uspensky before he pulled away in the final two games to put the Cowboys one point away from the upset.
"I was just trying to focus on my match and not worry about the other guys," Meraut said. "I'm here for them and I'll always cheer them on, but I wanted to take care of my point first."
It all came down to Cowboys Finzelberg and Ismailov on courts one and six. The two sophomores had a chance to clinch the match, but the Demon Deacons wouldn't go quietly.
After Seraphim and Chrysochos won their second set, one of the two Cowboys remaining needed to win in order for a OSU victory.
On six, Finzelberg was in a battle with the set tied, 4-4, but the German native remained confident and won the next game to take a 5-4 lead.
Meanwhile, Ismailov had a 5-4 lead on court one against Chrysochos, but couldn't wrap his match as the Demon Deacon tied the match at five.
Luckily, Ismailov didn't have to worry as Finzelberg took care of Seraphim on court six to give the Cowboys their first victory over a top-15 opponent since they beat No. 6-ranked Tennessee at the Greenwood Tennis Center back in 2014.
"It was awesome being part of something like this for the first time," Meraut said.
The crowd was a huge key to the success tonight, as the Greenwood Tennis Center was packed with fans and Arjun Kadhe and the Pokes couldn't thank them enough.
"First, I want to thank the crowd today because they were really loud and that's what helped us," Kadhe said.
Up next for the Cowboys, the No. 22-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday at noon. The match will be played at the Greenwood Tennis Center and fans in attendance will have the opportunity to munch on some free pizza.
"You try to go one match at a time and we're not going to look past anyone this season, especially since Minnesota beat us last year," Udwadia said.
No. 25 Oklahoma State def. No. 11 Wake Forest, 4-2
January 29, 2016 | Greenwood Tennis Center
Doubles | Order of Finish: 1, 2
C1: No. 9 Kadhe/Cash (OSU) def. No. 25 Mansouri/Seraphim (WF), 6-4
C2: Ismailov/Gerch (OSU) def. Ho/Chrysochos (WF), 6-4
C3: No. 53 Finzelberg/Mendoza (OSU) vs. Bogaerts/Uspensky (WF), 4-5 unf.
Singles | Order of Finish: 2, 4, 3, 5, 6
C1: Temur Ismailov (OSU) vs. Petros Chrysochos (WF), 3-6, 6-4, 6-5 unf.
C2: No. 26 Skander Mansouri (WF) def. No. 68 Julian Cash (OSU), 6-1, 6-4
C3: No. 112 Arjun Kadhe (OSU) def. Romain Bogaerts (WF), 6-3, 6-3
C4: No. 103 Jon Ho (WF) def.Lucas Gerch (OSU), 6-2, 6-3
C5: Tristan Meraut (OSU) def. Dennis Uspensky (WF), 7-6 (4), 6-4
C6: Lukas Finzelberg (OSU) vs. Christian Seraphim (WF), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
The win marks the third-ranked opponent the Cowboys have beaten this season and their first victory over a top-15 opponent since 2014, when the Pokes beat No. 7-ranked Tennessee at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
"Today was about getting over the hump and getting a nice win to start the season," coach Jay Udwadia said. "It was nice to capitalize it at home."
To start the match, the Cowboys took the hard-earned doubles point after close matches on all courts. Oklahoma State's No. 9-ranked duo Arjun Kadhe/Julian Cash won their doubles match against No. 25-ranked Skander Mansouri/Christian Seraphim on court one to get the crowd going at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
After a roar from court one, Pokes Temur Ismailov/Lucas Gerch took the last two points in their battle with Wake Forest's Jon Ho/Petros Chrysochos to secure the doubles point for Oklahoma State, winning their match, 6-4.
"It's a lot easier to win three singles points, than four, especially when you're playing the top teams in the country," Udwadia said. "I love how the team is playing with great energy and good spirit in doubles because it reflects our team."
Another victory in doubles marks the sixth-straight doubles point the Cowboys have won this year, as they are undefeated in doubles play this season (6-0).
Heading into singles play with a 1-0 lead, the Cowboys needed to win only three of six matches to clinch the victory, but it wasn't going to come easy.
No. 26-ranked singles player Mansouri got the Demon Deacons going with a straight-set win on court two over No. 68-ranked Julian Cash, 6-1, 6-4. It was Cash's first singles loss of the season.
After Gerch fell on court four, Oklahoma State trailed by one point with four matches remaining and the Cowboys looked to two-time All-American Kadhe. The junior stepped up to the challenge by answering the Wake Forest victories with one of his own on court three, as he beat Romain Bogaerts to knot the score a two.
"I played pretty solid, but I can say everyone else gave 100 percent and that makes me really happy," Kadhe said. "We needed to beat a top-15 team because mentally it helps takes everyone's confidence to another level."
With all the momentum going to the Cowboys, Tristan Meraut was one set away from victory after winning the first set tiebreak, 7-4. In the second set, Meraut exchanged games with Wake Forest's Dennis Uspensky before he pulled away in the final two games to put the Cowboys one point away from the upset.
"I was just trying to focus on my match and not worry about the other guys," Meraut said. "I'm here for them and I'll always cheer them on, but I wanted to take care of my point first."
It all came down to Cowboys Finzelberg and Ismailov on courts one and six. The two sophomores had a chance to clinch the match, but the Demon Deacons wouldn't go quietly.
After Seraphim and Chrysochos won their second set, one of the two Cowboys remaining needed to win in order for a OSU victory.
On six, Finzelberg was in a battle with the set tied, 4-4, but the German native remained confident and won the next game to take a 5-4 lead.
Meanwhile, Ismailov had a 5-4 lead on court one against Chrysochos, but couldn't wrap his match as the Demon Deacon tied the match at five.
Luckily, Ismailov didn't have to worry as Finzelberg took care of Seraphim on court six to give the Cowboys their first victory over a top-15 opponent since they beat No. 6-ranked Tennessee at the Greenwood Tennis Center back in 2014.
"It was awesome being part of something like this for the first time," Meraut said.
The crowd was a huge key to the success tonight, as the Greenwood Tennis Center was packed with fans and Arjun Kadhe and the Pokes couldn't thank them enough.
"First, I want to thank the crowd today because they were really loud and that's what helped us," Kadhe said.
Up next for the Cowboys, the No. 22-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday at noon. The match will be played at the Greenwood Tennis Center and fans in attendance will have the opportunity to munch on some free pizza.
"You try to go one match at a time and we're not going to look past anyone this season, especially since Minnesota beat us last year," Udwadia said.
No. 25 Oklahoma State def. No. 11 Wake Forest, 4-2
January 29, 2016 | Greenwood Tennis Center
Doubles | Order of Finish: 1, 2
C1: No. 9 Kadhe/Cash (OSU) def. No. 25 Mansouri/Seraphim (WF), 6-4
C2: Ismailov/Gerch (OSU) def. Ho/Chrysochos (WF), 6-4
C3: No. 53 Finzelberg/Mendoza (OSU) vs. Bogaerts/Uspensky (WF), 4-5 unf.
Singles | Order of Finish: 2, 4, 3, 5, 6
C1: Temur Ismailov (OSU) vs. Petros Chrysochos (WF), 3-6, 6-4, 6-5 unf.
C2: No. 26 Skander Mansouri (WF) def. No. 68 Julian Cash (OSU), 6-1, 6-4
C3: No. 112 Arjun Kadhe (OSU) def. Romain Bogaerts (WF), 6-3, 6-3
C4: No. 103 Jon Ho (WF) def.Lucas Gerch (OSU), 6-2, 6-3
C5: Tristan Meraut (OSU) def. Dennis Uspensky (WF), 7-6 (4), 6-4
C6: Lukas Finzelberg (OSU) vs. Christian Seraphim (WF), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Players Mentioned
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