Cowboys End Homestand Strong, With 5-2 Win Over UCF

Friday, March 10

Stillwater, OK

5:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

UCF

March 10, 2023 | Cowboy Tennis

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

STILLWATER, Okla. — The No. 30-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys men's tennis team completed its three-game homestand on Friday, defeating No. 75 UCF, 5-2, at the Greenwood Tennis Center.

With the win, the Cowboys move to 9-0 at home this spring season.

Doubles play opened with Francisco Pini and Alex Garcia ousting Francisco Llanes and Yassine Dlimi on court three, 6-2.

Chase Ferguson and Tyler Zink wrapped up doubles play shortly after, handling No. 76-ranked Lleyton Cronje and Bogdan Pavel on court one, 6-2.

Alessio Basile and Isaac Becroft posted a 5-4 lead versus Cooper White and Paul Colin, before the match was left unfinished.

Fresh off netting Big 12 Player of the Week honors, Garcia completed Friday with a clean 2-0 mark, beating Mehdi Benchakroun, 6-1, 6-0, to begin singles.

Zink fell to No. 105-ranked Pavel on court one, 7-5, 6-2, to hand the Knights their first point of the match.

LIam Branger knotted things up for UCF, outmatching Pini 7-6(5), 6-4.

Following Branger's court-five win, all three remaining matches battled in third-set contests.

Basile took down Llanes, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, to move the Cowboys into match-clinching position, leading 3-2.

Becroft provided the match-clinching point for the Pokes, winning over Cronje, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5.)

Ferguson and Dlimi went unfinished in singles play, concluding at 6-2, 4-6, 6-6, with Ferguson leading 2-1 in tiebreaker play.

Oklahoma State will embark on a three-game trip to California, facing Southern California, Pepperdine and UCLA before returning home against Tulane on March 26 at 11 a.m.

For season-long coverage of Cowboy Tennis, visit okstate.com and follow @cowboytennis on Twitter and Instagram.

Singles competition
1. Bogdan Pavel (UCF) def. Tyler Zink (OSUM) 7-5, 6-2
2. Isaac Becroft (OSUM) def. Lleyton Cronje (UCF) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Chase Ferguson (OSUM) def. Yassine Dlimi (UCF) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2-1), won by default
4. Alex Garcia (OSUM) def. Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) 6-1, 6-0
5. Liam Branger (UCF) def. Francisco Pini (OSUM) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
6. Alessio Basile (OSUM) def. Francisco Llanes (UCF) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Chase Ferguson/Tyler Zink (OSUM) def. Lleyton Cronje/Bogdan Pavel (UCF) 6-2
2. Alessio Basile/Isaac Becroft (OSUM) vs. Cooper White/Paul Colin (UCF) 5-4, unfinished
3. Alex Garcia/Francisco Pini (OSUM) def. Yassine Dlimi/Francisco Llanes (UCF) 6-2

Match Notes: Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,1,5,6,2)