March 4, 2011
Site: Norman, Okla. (Gregg Wadley Tennis Center)
Score: No. 26 Oklahoma 6, No. 60 Northwestern
Records: NU (8-4, 0-0 Big Ten) Oklahoma (6-2, 0-0 Big 12)
Next NU Event: Sunday, March 6 at No. 24 Notre Dame 3 p.m. CT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Despite wins at the No. 1 singles and doubles positions -- including an upset by Joshua Graves over 28th-ranked Ionut Beleleu -- Northwestern dropped a 6-1 outcome on the road against No. 26 Oklahoma on Friday evening in Norman.
For Graves, the win over Beleleu was his first win against a ranked opponent this season. It came on the heels of a quality win for Graves and Spencer Wolf in doubles, as the two topped Beleleu and Tsvetan Mihov by an 8-6 score at the top doubles match. Graves and Wolf are now 9-1 at the No. 1 doubles line this year.
But Oklahoma was too strong in singles to overcome, finishing off four of their five victories in straight sets. Northwestern freshman Raleigh Smith looked strong in winning his first set against Lawrence Formentera at the No. 6 spot by a 6-0 count, but Formentera responded to take the second set and eventually won in a nail-biter tiebreaker third set, 7-6 (8).
Wolf lost his No. 2 singles match to a ranked opponent, falling 6-3, 6-4 to No. 59 Costin Paval.
Northwestern heads back to the upper Midwest this weekend, traveling to take on a regional foe in No. 24 Notre Dame. Start time is set for 3 p.m. CT on Sunday.
No. 26 Oklahoma 6, No. 60 Northwestern 1
Singles:
1: Joshua Graves (NU) def. #28 Ionut Beleleu (OU), 7-5, 6-7, 1-0 (10-3)
2: Costin Paval (OU) def. Spencer Wolf (NU), 6-3, 6-4
3: Laurentiu Gavrila (OU) def. Andrew McCarthy (NU), 6-2, 7-6 (3)
4: Peerakit Siributwong (OU) def. Tobias Reitz (NU), 6-2, 6-2
5: Tsvetan Mihov (OU) def. Chris Jackman (NU), 6-2, 6-4
6: Lawrence Formentera (OU) def. Raleigh Smith (NU), 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (10-8)
Doubles:
1: Graves/Wolf (NU) def. Beleleu/Mihov (OU), 8-6
2: Paval/Siributwong (OU) def. McCarthy/Reitz (NU), 8-2
3: Gavrila/Formentera (OU) def. Jackman/Smith (NU), 8-4
Order of Finish:
Singles (2, 4, 5*, 3, 1, 6)
Doubles (2, 3*, 1)
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