Oklahoma State University Athletics
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Texas Tech
Gerch's Thrilling Comeback Fuels Cowboy Tennis Victory
April 25, 2014 | Cowboy Tennis
April 25, 2014
FORT WORTH, Texas -
The No. 28 Oklahoma State men's tennis team opened play in the 2014 Big 12 Championships on Friday with an improbable 4-3-comeback victory over No. 35 Texas Tech at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
With the match tied at three, Lucas Gerch roared back from a 5-0 third-set deficit to win seven-consecutive games and guide the fifth-seeded Cowboys (21-6) over Texas Tech. The victory was OSU's first at the Big 12 Championships since topping Texas Tech in 2009 by the same 4-3 margin.
“We tried to do our best job of winning some first sets there in singles, but we lost five of six first sets,” Head Coach Jay Udwadia said. “To come back and stay on course, I give credit to all the guys for doing that. You just don't see that very often. Heartfelt feelings go out to Texas Tech, but you have to give it to Lucas [Gerch] for hanging in there. As a freshman, that's a pretty remarkable victory.”
The Cowboys opened the match by taking an early lead through the match's doubles point. 16th-ranked Arjun Kadhe and Jakob Sude took down Dojas/Soares for the second time in 2014, improving the Big 12 No. 1 Doubles Champions' record to 11-1. Sebastian Sachs and Lucas Gerch then secured the OSU doubles point by defeating Hinnisdaels/Willems, 8-5. Chris Haworth and Brady Bohrnstedt sat a point short of victory before having their match end unfinished.
In similar fashion to the teams' meeting in Stillwater earlier this season, the Red Raiders opened singles play by taking the first set on five of six courts. Arjun Kadhe was able to provide a spark with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Francisco Zambon, but the match's momentum shifted further in Tech's favor when Felipe Soares, Hugo Dojas and Johann Willems turned straight set victories into a 3-2 advantage for the Red Raiders.
With the Cowboys trailing by a set on the two remaining courts, Haworth and Gerch each recorded second-set successes to keep Oklahoma State's hopes alive. Gerch struggled early on in the third, however, and eventually found himself down, 5-0. Haworth tied the match by holding off Jolan Cailleau, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, but the Cowboys' chances seemed bleak with Hinnisdaels needing only one game to clinch a Tech victory.
Gerch inched closer and closer to Hinnisdaels by fending off two match points and earning three-consecutive serve breaks over the Red Raiders' No. 4 singles standout, giving the Cowboy freshman a 6-5 lead. Hinnisdaels raced out to 40-0 advantage in the deciding game, but Gerch responded by winning five consecutive points, with the final being the match clincher.
Oklahoma State advances to face top-seeded Baylor in the semifinals tomorrow at 12 p.m. A win would place the Cowboys in their first Big 12 Championship since 2005, when they fell short to the Bears, 4-1. For more updates and information, follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter.
Complete Results
#28 Oklahoma State 4, #35 Texas Tech 3
April 25, 2014 | Fort Worth, Texas | Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center
Doubles
1. #16 Sude/Kadhe (OSU) def. Soares/Dojas (TTU) 8-3
2. Gerch/Sachs (OSU) def. Hinnisdaels/Willems (TTU) 8-5
3. Bohrnstedt/Haworth (OSU) vs. Cailleau/Zambon (TTU) 7-5 uf.
Order of finish: 1, 2
Singles
1. #64 Felipe Soares (TTU) def. #70 Jakob Sude (OSU) 7-6 (3), 6-4
2. #99 Hugo Dojas (TTU) def. #88 Sebastian Sachs (OSU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Arjun Kadhe (OSU) def. Francisco Zambon (TTU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Lucas Gerch (OSU) def. Maxime Hinnisdaels (TTU) 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5
5. Johann Willems (TTU) def. Brady Bohrnstedt (OSU) 6-2, 7-5
6. Chris Haworth (OSU) def. Jolan Cailleau (TTU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 5, 3, 1, 6, 4
Players Mentioned
