April 20, 2007
WACO, Texas -
The No. 4 ranked Baylor men's tennis team clinched a share of the Big 12 regular season title and picked up their fifth straight conference win defeating seventh-ranked Oklahoma State Friday at the Baylor Tennis Center. The Bears ended the Cowboys' 11 match winning streak to remain undefeated at home and in Big 12 play. With the win, the Bears improve to 21-3 on the season, 5-0 in conference action.
The Cowboys claimed the doubles point with two wins over the Bears to take an early lead. Oklahoma State's duo of Ivan Puchkarov and Dmytro Petrov defeated Dominik Mueller and Denes Lukacs 8-5 while Daniel Byrnes and Oleksandr Nedovyesov clinched the doubles point for the Cowboys with a 9-8(3) win over Baylor's team of No. 18 Matija Zgaga and David Galic. Lars Poerschke and Michal Kokta posted the Bears' lone doubles win with an 8-2 victory over Artie Burmistrau and Nathan Byrnes.
Kokta, ranked No. 23, picked up the first win for the Bears with a 6-4, 6-0 win over No. 26 Puchkarov. Oklahoma State's second point came when Burmistrau defeated No. 102 Mueller in a three set match 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Lukacs tied the score 2-2 defeating Nathan Byrnes in a second set tiebreaker 6-1, 7-6(3) on court two. Petrov defeated Matt Brown 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2 on court three to give the Cowboys the lead. Zgaga evened up the score for the Bears with a 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3 downing of Daniel Byrnes with No. 14 Poerschke following less than a minute later to clinch the match for the Bears besting No. 30 Nedovyesov 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3.
With the loss, Oklahoma State drops to 15-2 on the season, 3-1 in Big 12 action.
The Bears are back in action Sunday, April 22 when they host the University of Oklahoma at the Baylor Tennis Center at 2 p.m. In between Sunday's doubles and singles action, Baylor's four seniors, Jamie Bishop, Michal Kokta, Michael Wollitz and Matija Zgaga will be honored. Sunday's match marks the completion of regular season play for the Bears.
#4 Baylor 4, #7 Oklahoma State 3
Doubles
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
1. D. Byrnes/Nedovyesov (OSU) def. #18 Zgaga/Galic (BU) 9-8(3)
2. Poerschke/Kokta (BU) def. Burmistrau/N. Byrnes (OSU) 8-2
3. Puchkarov/Petrov (OSU) def. Mueller/Lukacs (BU) 8-5
Singles
Order of Finish: 2, 5, 6, 3, 4, 1*
1. #14 Lars Poerschke (BU) def. #30 Oleksandr Nedovyesov (OSU) 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3
2. #23Michal Kokta (BU) def. #26 Ivan Puchkarov (OSU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Dmytro Petrov (OSU) def. Matt Brown (BU) 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2
4. Matija Zgaga (BU) def. Daniel Byrnes (OSU) 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3
5. Artie Burmistrau (OSU) def. #102 Dominik Mueller (BU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
6. Denes Lukacs (BU) def. Nathan Byrnes (OSU) 6-1, 7-6(3)
