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No. 5 Men’s Tennis clinches share of Big 12 title with 4-1 win over No. 11 Oklahoma
04.07.2024 | Men's Tennis
The Longhorns eclipsed the Sooners to claim at least a share of the regular season title for the fourth time in the last five years.
Norman, Okla. – No. 5 Texas Men's Tennis (18-3, 6-0) clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title with a 4-1 victory over No. 11 Oklahoma (18-3, 5-1) in Norman on Sunday.
It marks the fourth time in the last five years the conference schedule has been played that the Longhorns have claimed at least a share of the title. That discounts 2020 when the conference season was canceled due to the pandemic. Two of the previous three titles have been outright in 2019 and 2023, while it was shared with Baylor and TCU in 2021. Texas will play Baylor on April 13 in its final regular season match with an opportunity to earn the outright title with a win or a loss by Oklahoma against Oklahoma State.
Raise it high and light the Tower!
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) April 7, 2024
Your 2024 @Big12Conference Champions! 🏆#HookEm 🤘🎾 pic.twitter.com/MHaFwLG1Pl
"I couldn't be happier for or more proud of our team," head coach Bruce Berque said. "It was a total team effort today, and our guys continue to build as we head into the homestretch of our season. We're looking forward to our Senior Day next Saturday and the opportunity to celebrate a very special senior class."
After taking the doubles point with wins at Nos. 3 and 1, the Longhorns claimed three singles matches with wins from freshman No. 40 Gilles-Arnaud Bailly at No. 3, senior Cleeve Harper at No. 5, and senior No. 3 Micah Braswell at No. 2.
In doubles, Harper and Micah Braswell were the first off the court with an efficient 6-0 sweep over Hank Trondson and Asahi Harazaki at No. 3. The Texas tandem opened the match with a hold followed by a break and never looked back, winning all remaining games.
On court 1, seniors Eliot Spizzirri and Siem Woldeab secured the doubles point with a 6-4 win over No. 68 Alex Martinez and Baptiste Anselmo. The Longhorn duo earned a break for 2-1 then held in the following game to cap off a 3-0 run. The match stayed on serve from there to clinch the doubles point for Texas.
Junior Pierre-Yves Bailly and senior Eshan Talluri's match against Kholo Montsi and Luis Alvarez was then left unfinished with the Texas duo leading, 5-4, with every game staying on serve.
In singles play, Gilles-Arnaud Bailly was the first off the court with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Jordan Hasson at No. 3. Bailly broke then consolidated it for an early 2-0 lead to begin the match. He broke again for 4-1 and followed it with another hold for a 5-1 advantage. Hasson ended Bailly's 3-0 run with a hold for 5-2, but Bailly served out the set to spur a 5-0 run. Hasson managed to snape the string with a hold for 4-1, but Bailly closed out the match in the next two games.
Harper was next off the singles courts with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Justin Schlageter at No. 5. After finding himself in an early 2-0 deficit, Harper won the next three games for a 3-2 advantage. Schlageter held for 3-3, but Harper also hold in the following game to start a 5-0 run, securing the first set and providing a 2-0 lead in the second. Schlageter responded with a hold then a break to even it, but Harper would break back then hold for 4-2. The rest of the set tayed on serve, earning Harper the win and giving Texas a 3-0 overall advantage.
The next match to finish provided Oklahoma its only win in the contest as Mark Mandlik picked up a 6-3, 6-3 victory over freshman Lucas Brown on court 6. At 3-3, Mandlik went on a 3-0 run to take the first set. Brown responded with a break and a hold to begin the second set, but Mandlik would eventually even the score, 3-3. Mandlik went on to win the match's remaining three games to complete a 5-0 run.
Micah laces the backhand for the CLINCH! #HookEm 🤘🎾 https://t.co/LAxcy3GPm0 pic.twitter.com/nxBQZUSPir
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) April 7, 2024
The clinch for Texas came from Micah Braswell's 6-3, 6-4 win over Montsi on court 2. The results of Braswell's first 13 games were identical to Harper's, with Braswell finding himself in an early 2-0 deficit before taking the next three games for a 3-2 lead. Montsi held for 3-3, but Braswell responded with a 5-0 run to clinch the first set and provide a 2-0 lead in the second. Montsi ended Braswell's streak with a hold then a break for 2-2, but the set's next three games stayed on serve for a 4-3 Braswell advantage. Braswell then broke in the following game to begin a three-game break streak and win the match for Texas.
Two singles matches were left unfinished due to Braswell clinching the 4-1 Texas win. No. 1 Spizzirri led No. 16 Martinez, 7-6 (3), 3-0, on court 1, while No. 79 Pierre-Yves Bailly had also won a first set tiebreaker against Alvarez before their was left unresolved with a 7-6 (1), 1-2 score.
Next up, the Longhorns will host No. 31 Baylor in the regular season finale at the Texas Tennis Center on Saturday, April 13 at 4 p.m. CT.
#5 Texas 4, #11 Oklahoma 1
Singles – Order of Finish (3,5,6,2)
1. #16 Alex Martinez (OU) vs. #1 Eliot Spizzirri (UT) 6-7 (3), 0-3, unf.
2. #3 Micah Braswell (UT) def. Kholo Montsi (OU) 6-3, 6-4
3. #40 Gilles-Arnaud Bailly (UT) def. Jordan Hasson (OU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Luis Alvarez (OU) vs. #79 Pierre-Yves Bailly (UT) 6-7 (1), 2-1, unf.
5. Cleeve Harper (UT) def. Justin Schlageter (OU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Mark Mandlik (OU) def. Lucas Brown (UT) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles – Order of Finish (3,1)
1. #62 Eliot Spizzirri/Siem Woldeab (UT) def. #68 Alex Martinez/Baptiste Anselmo (OU) 6-4
2. Kholo Montsi/Luis Alvarez (OU) vs. Pierre-Yves Bailly/Eshan Talluri (UT) 4-5, unf.
3. Micah Braswell/Cleeve Harper (UT) def. Asahi Harazaki/Hank Trondson (OU) 6-0
Players Mentioned
