Colorado University Athletics

Men's Tennis Upsets No. 35 Oklahoma State, 4-3

Men's Tennis Upsets No. 35 Oklahoma State, 4-3
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TULSA, Okla. ? The University of Colorado men’s tennis team performed some history of their own Sunday afternoon upsetting No. 35 Oklahoma State, 4-3, in a match moved from the outdoors courts in Stillwater to the Michael D. Case Tennis Center at the University of Tulsa due to 40 miles per hour winds.

           The Buffaloes (10-5, 1-0 Big 12), ranked No. 42 nationally, who four days ago were told the men’s tennis program will be eliminated at the end of the 2005-06 season, came out on all cylinders and defeated a Cowboys team the first time in eight matches and defeated OSU on the road for the first time since 1996.

“We won the doubles point and that showed again how important that point is,” said CU head coach Sam Winterbotham. “This is how the men deal with adversity; they kept their head up and gave it their best effort. I am extremely proud of all of them. They showed they want to part of the University of Colorado and this is the first step in one of our goals in competing for a conference championship.”

CU started the day winning the doubles point taking two of three positions. At No. 2, Peter Bjork/Jan Zelezny teamed up the first time this season for an 8-6 winner; and at No. 1, Marko Bundalo and Eric Molnar broke a three-match losing streak, winning a thrilling 9-8 (8-6) decision.

With a 1-0 lead, CU needed just three singles points to clinch the victory and they got that at their lower three positions four through six.

At No. 4, Zelezny, who was named CU Athlete of the Week on Wednesday for winning all three of his singles matches at the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic, defeated Felipe Diaz 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

At No. 6, Marek Dvorak outlasted Olexsander Kotsiuk, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Dvorak remains red-hot this dual season winning his third in a row, and his seven of his last eight.

So far this dual season, Zelezny is 8-2 and Dvorak tied teammate Peter Bjork for a team best 10 victories.

With Dvorak and Zelezny winning their singles slots, senior Chad Tsuda clinched the match and team victory at No. 5 taking a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 winner over Artie Burmistrau. Tsuda’s win was his ninth of the spring and 16th of the year.

The triumph over OSU was CU’s first road win to open Big 12 play since defeating Texas Tech back on Feb. 28, 1998.

The Buffs look for their second conference win traveling to Norman to take on No. 44 Oklahoma, Tuesday, March 28 at 1 p.m.

 

No. 42 Colorado 4, No. 35 Oklahoma State 3

CU (10-5, 1-0 Big 12), OSU (8-2, 1-1 Big 12)

March 25, Tulsa, Okla.

 

1d) Bundalo/Molnar (CU) def. Byrnes/Byrnes 9-8 (6)

2d) Tsuda/Zelezny (CU) def. Burmistrau/Bohunicky 8-6

3d) Diaz/Puchkarov (OSU) def. Dvorak/Bjork 8-2

 

1) (23) Daniel Byrnes (OSU) def. Eric Molnar 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6)

2) Tomas Bohunicky (OSU) def. Peter Bjork 6-3, 6-4

3) Ivan Puchkarov (OSU) def. Marko Bundalo 6-3, 7-5

4) Jan Zelezny (CU) def. Felipe Diaz 6-3, 2-6, 6-1

5) Chad Tsuda (CU) def. Artie Burmistrau 6-2, 3-6, 6-3

6) Marek Dvorak (CU) def. Olexsander Kotsiuk 6-3, 1-6, 6-3