OSU overcomes early deficit to defeat MTSU, 4-2

Friday, January 19

Stillwater, OK

3:00 p.m.

Oklahoma State University

Middle Tennessee

January 19, 2024 | Cowboy Tennis

BOX SCORE (PDF)
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State's men's tennis team continued its hot start with a 4-2 comeback victory over Middle Tennessee State inside the Greenwood Tennis Center to move to 3-0 on the year.

The action started with doubles going the way of MTSU. On center court, Cowboys Tyler Zink and Alex Garcia started it off with a 6-2 victory over Blue Raiders Javier Cueto Ramos and Jakub Kroslak. Zink and Garcia move to 3-0 in doubles this season.

On court two, Oklahoma State's Isaac Becroft, in his first match of the season, and Erik Schiessl fell to MTSU's Karim Al-Amin and Shu Matsuoka, 3-6.

In the deciding match on court three, Alessio Basile and Carl Roothman played hard but were taken down by Leo Raquin and Ondrej Horak, 3-6.

The Pokes turned things around in a close singles competition defined by multiple three-set matches and tiebreakers. Becroft started it off with a 6-3, 6-3, win over MTSU's Ondrej Horak, ranked No. 105 nationally, to tie things up on court 3.

Erik Schiessl, in the third match of his career, faced off against Denis Taramonlis. After a 6-4 first-set victory, Schiessl battled from a 5-2 deficit to force a tiebreaker, and with an emphatic finish, he closed the match, winning 6-4, 7-6(5) and moving to 3-0 in his career.

Tyler Zink, coming off a Big 12 Player of the Week performance and carrying a No. 18 national ranking, continued his hot season with a close 7-5, 7-5 victory over No. 25 Leo Raquin.

MTSU battled back as Alessio Basile fell to Matsuoka in a three-set battle, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6. However, Alex Garcia, ranked No. 48, was the one to put away the Blue Raiders. Garcia defeated 47th-ranked Marcel Kamrowski in a three-set duel, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.

Francisco Pini played a tight match, going three sets, but went unfinished due to the Cowboys clinching the win.

The Cowboys continue their season next weekend, participating in the ITA Kickoff against Utah.

Singles competition
1. No. 18 Tyler Zink (OSU) def. No. 25 Leo Raquin (MTSU) 7-5, 7-5
2. No. 48 Alex Garcia (OSU) def. No. 47 Marcel Kamrowski (MTSU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
3. Issac Becroft (OSU) def. No. 105 Ondrej Horak (MTSU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Shu Matsuoka (MTSU) def. Alessio Basile (OSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
5. Erik Schiessl (OSU) def. Demis Taramonlis (MTSU) 6-4, 7-6(5)
6. Francisco Pini (OSU) vs. Jakub Kroslak (MTSU) 6-7(6), 6-3, 4-4, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Tyler Zink/Alex Garcia (OSU) def. Javier Cueto Ramos/Jakub Kroslak (MTSU) 6-2
2. Karim Al-Amin/Shu Matsuoka (MTSU) def. Isaac Becroft/Erik Schiessl (OSU) 6-3
3. Leo Raquin/Ondrej Horak (MTSU) def. Alessio Basile/Carl Roothman (OSU) 6-3

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