Cowboys Complete Dramatic Comeback, Defeat Arizona State, 4-3, at ITA Kick-Off

Saturday, January 26

Fort Worth, TX

Oklahoma State University

Arizona State University

Cowboys Complete Dramatic Comeback, Defeat Arizona State, 4-3, at ITA Kick-Off

January 26, 2019 | Cowboy Tennis

Box Score

FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 20 Oklahoma State overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat Arizona State, 4-3, in Saturday afternoon's first round of the ITA Kick-Off at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.

"We grinded it out," coach Jay Udwadia said. "The guys really believed in it and it ended up being an amazing college tennis match with an electric atmosphere."

ASU took command early, dominating doubles action. Justin Roberts & Makey Rakotomalala of Arizona State defeated OSU's Artur Dubinski and Brady Draheim, 6-0, while Tim Ruehl and William Kirkman defeated Luke Hammond and Mathieu Scaglia, 6-2.

In singles play, Arizona State jumped on the Cowboys again, taking two quick singles matches in straight sets. Rakotomalala defeated Hammond on court five, 6-3, 6-3, and Kirkman defeated freshman Emile Hudd, 6-3, 7-5. ASU had a commanding 3-1 lead, and won the first set in two of the remaining four matches.

The Cowboys began to claw back in the match behind sophomore Brady Draheim's win in straight sets over ASU's Tim Ruehl, 6-4, 6-3.

Junior Mathieu Scaglia followed when he narrowly defeated Nathan Ponwith in straight set-tiebreakers, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (8-6).

The match came down to courts one and three, where the duo of Belarus natives, Artur Dubinski and Maxim Tybar delivered two wins after dropping the first set.

Tybar defeated Roberts, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, while Dubinski clinched the match defeating Dominik Kellovsky, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

This was only the second meeting between the two teams, and the first since 1965.

"This group fights and scraps," Udwadia said about his team. "That's what Cowboy Tennis is all about."

The win propels the Cowboys to a showdown with No. 22 TCU tomorrow at 1 p.m. for the right to go to the ITA National Indoor Championships.

Keep up with all things Cowboy Tennis by following @CowboyTennis on Twitter and Instagram.

No. 20 Oklahoma State 4, Arizona State 3
Jan. 26, 2019 | Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center | Fort Worth, Texas

Doubles Results (Order of Finish: 2,3)
1. Kellovsky/Ponwith (ASU) vs. No. 31 Emile Hudd/Maxim Tybar (OSU), 5-2, unfinished
2. Roberts/Rakotomalala (ASU) def. Artur Dubinski/Brady Draheim, 6-0
3. Ruehl/Kirkman (ASU) def. Luke Hammond/Mathieu Scaglia, 6-2

Singles Results (Order of Finish: 5,6,4,2,3,1)
1. Artur Dubinski (OSU) def. Dominik Kellovsky (ASU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
2. Mathieu Scaglia (OSU) def. Nathan Ponwith (ASU) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (8-6)
3. Maxim Tybar (OSU) def. Justin Roberts (ASU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
4. Brady Draheim (OSU) def. Tim Ruehl (ASU) 6-4, 6-3
5. Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. Luke Hammond (OSU) 6-3, 6-3
6. William Kirkman (ASU) def. Emile Hudd (OSU) 6-3, 7-5