March 15, 2008
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - After back-to-back victories over two top 40 teams, the 65th-ranked Penn State men's tennis team (6-6, 1-0) battled, but suffered a 4-1 setback to No. 8 Tulsa (13-2) in the semifinals of the Blue-Gray Tennis Classic at the Lagoon Park Tennis Center on Saturday.
Penn State's first visit to the prestigious 16-team tournament was successful despite the setback in the semifinals. The Nittany Lions tallied wins over No. 21 Alabama (4-3) and No. 35 Boise State (4-1) on the first two days of action in Alabama.
On Saturday, the eighth-ranked Hurricanes secured the doubles point to take the early 1-0 lead. The Nittany Lions battled back in singles action, but the talented Tulsa squad managed a 3-0 lead before the Lions got on the board, and went on to snap Penn State's impressive run with a 4-1 victory. When Tulsa clinched the overall match, Penn State was leading in the two matches still on court.
"We fought really hard today and had some opportunities against Tulsa, but weren't able to convert," said head coach Todd Doebler. "As a result, when you are playing a good team like Tulsa, you need to take advantage of every opportunity you have."
Penn State fell behind early when Tulsa scored a pair of victories in doubles action to lock up the pivotal point. At No. 1, junior Adam Slagter (Austin, Texas) and freshman Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia) fell to the 25th-ranked Tulsa duo of Ross Cunningham and David Connelly by a score of 8-4. The Hurricane team managed an early break, and cruised to the 8-4 victory.
Senior Michael James (Clifton, Va.) and junior Brendan Lynch (North Potomac, Md.) improved to a perfect 8-0 in duals this spring with an 8-5 triumph over the No.35-ranked Hurricane team of Arnau Brugues and Ricardo Soriano. The Lion team trailed 3-2 early in the match, but went on to win six of the final eight games of the pro-set.
Nevertheless, Tulsa scored an 8-5 victory in the No. 3 bout to clinch the doubles point. Viktor Kolik and Alberto Sottocorno of Tulsa ousted senior James Dwyer (Peachtree City, Ga.) and Ryan Gormley (Las Vegas, Nev.) by a score of 8-5. The Penn State team led 3-2, but Kolik and Sottocorno rallied to win six of the final eight games to score the victory for the Hurricanes.
With Tulsa leading 1-0, the dual moved to singles action. Tulsa carried its momentum from the doubles victories right into singles action. In the No. 1 match, 62nd-ranked Nittany Lion senior James suffered a 6-4, 6-2 setback at the hands of Brugues, who is ranked 41st in the nation. Brugues' victory increased Tulsa's lead to 2-0 in the overall match. James falls to 22-8 overall on the year, and 7-4 in duals.
The Hurricanes took a commanding 3-0 match lead with a straight-sets victory in the No. 5 bout. Sottocorno quickly jumped out to a one-set lead over Gormley after notching the first set, 6-1. The Lion sophomore tried to rally in the second, but Sottocorno clinched the point for the Hurricanes with a 6-3 triumph in the set.
The Nittany Lions got on the scoreboard when Dwyer knocked off Cunningham in the No. 6 match. The Nittany Lion senior cruised to a 4-1 lead in the first on his way to a 6-2 victory in the set. Dwyer chalked up the victory for Penn State by securing a 6-4 edge in the second set, which set the score at 3-1, in favor of Tulsa. Dwyer's victory marked his fourth consecutive triumph in dual matches, including his third win of the weekend.
Nevertheless, Tulsa secured a spot in the Blue-Gray finals with a victory in the No. 4 match. The Hurricanes' Will Gray defeated Bourchier by a score of 6-3, 6-4 to seal the victory. The Australian rookie falls to 14-9 on the season.
With the match decided, the two remaining singles bouts were halted. Slagter looked to be well on his way to defeating Soriano in the No. 2 match. He led by a score of 6-4, 4-3 when play was stopped.
Lynch also held a lead over Kolik in the battle at No. 3 when Tulsa clinched the match. The Lion southpaw won the first set by a score of 6-3, but Kolik came right back in the second, 6-2. Lynch led 3-2 in the third.
Penn State will now head home for six-straight matches. First up will be a pair of Big Ten contests next weekend. The Lions begin next Sunday with a match against No. 64 Wisconsin at 11 a.m. The Nittany Lions will head back onto the court one day later with a bout against No. 10 Michigan at 1 p.m. Action will take place at Sarni Tennis Center and admission is free.
Final Score: #8 Tulsa 4, #65 Penn State 1
Doubles:
1. #25 Ross Cunningham/David Connelly (TULSA) def. Adam Slagter/Eddie Bourchier (PSU), 8-4
2. Brendan Lynch/Michael James (PSU) def. #35 Arnau Brugues/Ricardo Soriano (TULSA), 8-5
3. Viktor Kolik/Alberto Sottocorno (TULSA) def. Ryan Gormley/James Dwyer (PSU), 8-5
Singles:
1. #41 Arnau Brugues (TULSA) def. #62 Michael James (PSU), 6-4, 6-2
2. Adam Slagter (PSU) led #102 Ricardo Soriano (TULSA), 6-4, 4-3, DNF
3. Brendan Lynch (PSU) led Viktor Kolik (TULSA), 6-3, 2-6, 3-2 DNF
4. Will Gray (TULSA) def. Eddie Bourchier (PSU), 6-3, 6-4
5. Alberto Sottocorno (TULSA) def. Ryan Gormley (PSU), 6-1, 6-3
6. James Dwyer (PSU) def. Ross Cunningham (TULSA), 6-2, 6-4