April 13, 2012
Results
HOUSTON - The No. 26-ranked University of Tulsa men's tennis team defeated No. 44 Rice 6-1 Friday afternoon at Jake Hess Tennis Stadium.
The Golden Hurricane (14-8, 3-0 Conference USA) won its season-best fourth-straight match, while the Owls (16-8, 2-1 C-USA) have now lost three of their last four contests.
These two teams have met in the finals of the Conference USA Championship each of the last six years.
Tulsa opened play by taking the doubles point on two of three courts, and the team was leading 5-0 before Rice could finally capture a point.
The sixth-ranked doubles team of senior Ashley Watling and junior Clifford Marsland posted a convincing 8-2 victory over Christian Saravia and Justin To at the top of the doubles lineup.
Rice was able to square doubles action when sophomore Japie De Klerk and freshman Alejandro Espejo fell 8-5 to Sam Garforth-Bles and Leif Berger at the third position.
The junior tandem of Grant Ive and Tristan Jackson blew open a tight match at No. 2 doubles to defeat Michael Nuesslein and Jonathan Chang 8-5, clinching the doubles point.
Ive gave Tulsa a quick 2-0 advantage after he got past Nuesslein 6-1, 6-2 at the fourth singles position.
No. 83-ranked Watling took down Chang 6-2, 6-4 from the third singles court, and No. 93 Marsland gave Tulsa the team victory after he defeated Saravia 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-3 at the second flight. Watling improved to 17-3 in two-set matches in his senior year.
Jackson gave Tulsa a fifth point on the fifth court when he defeated Peter Frank 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2.
Freshman Lucian Gheorghe gave the Owls their first point of the match when he lost to Philipp Seifert 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1) from the sixth position.
No. 92 De Klerk defeated Garforth-Bles 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-3 at the top of the lineup to give Tulsa the 6-1 victory.
The Golden Hurricane will complete its three-match road stretch to close out the regular season at noon April 15. TU will travel to New Orleans to face Conference USA foe Tulane.
Tennis Match Results
Apr 13, 2012 at Houston, Texas
(Jake Hess Tennis Stadium)
#26 Tulsa 6, #44 Rice 1
Singles competition
1. #92 Japie De Klerk (TLS) def. Sam Garforth-Bles (RICE) 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-3
2. #93 Clifford Marsland (TLS) def. Christian Saravia (RICE) 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-3
3. #83 Ashley Watling (TLS) def. Jonathan Chang (RICE) 6-2, 6-4
4. Grant Ive (TLS) def. Michael Nuesslein (RICE) 6-1, 6-2
5. Tristan Jackson (TLS) def. Peter Frank (RICE) 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2
6. Philipp Seifert (RICE) def. Lucian Gheorghe (TLS) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1)
Doubles competition
1. #6 Ashley Watling/Clifford Marsland (TLS) def. Christian Saravia/Justin To (RICE) 8-2
2. Grant Ive/Tristan Jackson (TLS) def. Michael Nuesslein/Jonathan Chang (RICE) 8-5
3. Sam Garforth-Bles/Leif Berger (RICE) def. Japie De Klerk/Alejandro Espejo (TLS) 8-5
Match Notes:
Tulsa 14-8; National ranking #26
Rice 16-8; National ranking #44
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,3,2,5,6,1)
In eight years as a member of Conference USA, Tulsa athletic teams have won a league-best 48 conference championships.
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