FROGS DROP 5-2 DECISION TO COWBOYS

TULSA, OKLAHOMA (February 23, 2009) TCU suffered a 5-2 setback to No. 18 Oklahoma State Sunday at Tulsa’s Michael D. Case Tennis Center. The Frogs finished the weekend 1-1 following Saturday’s victory over No. 17 Tulsa.

The loss dropped the 39th-ranked Horned Frogs to 2-5 on the season. Each of their matches this spring have come against teams currently listed among the ITA’s national rankings.

The Frogs claimed the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead on OSU. Senior Kriegler Brink and freshman Slah Mbarek notched their second win in as many days, 8-5 over Igor Sobolta and Andon Bobytsky before sophomores Zach Nichols and Christopher Price closed out the doubles point with an 8-4 victory over Aleksy Bessonov and Mikhail Trukshan.

Brink provided the other half the Frogs’ scoring total with a victory at No. 2
singles. His season record in dual matches improved to 5-1 with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Trukshan.

Junior Adrian Simon fell in a three-set super tiebreaker at the No. 5 position to Bobtysky to close out the evening, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 11-9. Mbarek (No. 3), Nichols (No. 4) and sophomore Jack Seider (No. 6) dropped respective straight-set decisions to Byrnes (6-2, 6-2), Bessonov (7-6 (6), 6-0) and Sobolta (6-2, 6-0).

Emanuel Brighiu, playing at No. 1 singles, was forced to retire due to injury
against Oleksandr Nedovyes, the nation’s No. 2-ranked player, while trailing 6-0, 1-0.

“We didn’t play quite as well as we did yesterday,” Head Coach Dave Borelli said. “We have some more tough matches coming up, so we’ll just have to continue to try and get better.”

TCU continues its season-opening stretch of matches against highly ranked opponents Thursday, when it faces No. 9 Ole Miss in Waco, Texas.


Results
No. 18 Oklahoma State 5, No. 39 TCU 2
Feb. 22, 2009
Tulsa, Okla. (Michael D. Case Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. (39) Oleksandr Nedovyes/Nathan Brynes (OSU) def. (32) Emanuel Bighiu/Adrian
Simon (TCU) – 8-3
2. Slah Mbarek/Kriegler Brink (TCU) def. Igor Sobolta/Andon Bobytsky (OSU) – 8-5
3. Christopher Price/Zach Nichols (TCU) def. Aleksy Bessonov/Mikhail Trukshan
(OSU) – 8-4

Singles
1. (2) Oleksandr Nedovyes (OSU) def. (68) Emanuel Brighiu (TCU) – 6-0, 1-0 (ret.)
2. Kriegler Brink (TCU) def. Mikhail Trukshan (OSU) – 6-2, 6-2
3. Nathan Byrnes (OSU) def. Slah Mbarek (TCU) – 6-2, 6-2
4. Aleksy Bessonov (OSU) def. Zach Nichols (TCU) – 7-6 (6), 6-0
5. Andon Bobtysky (OSU) def. Adrian Simon (TCU – 4-6, 7-6 (3), 11-9
6. Igor Sobolta (OSU) def. Jack Seider (TCU) – 6-2, 6-0