Hogs Finish Off Tripleheader Sweep Defeat Wichita St. 5-2
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 47 Arkansas completed a marathon day of tennis Tuesday, sweeping a trio of matches against Cowley County Community College and Wichita St. at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center in Fayetteville.
The Razorbacks, ranked 47th in the latest ITA Rankings released Tuesday, improved to 5-3 on the season after the three wins Tuesday.
In the nightcap against Wichita St., Arkansas used a strong doubles outing en route to a 5-2 victory. The Hogs got a win from Blake Strode and Colin Mascall at the top doubles spot, 8-4, over the Shockers’ Goran Vujaklija and Boris Gubic. UA’s pair of Gabriel Mattos and Andrei Nicoara clinched the doubles point at No. 3, knocking off WSU’s Albert Ballesta and Thiago Dos Santos, 8-6.
Strode and Mascall improve to 8-1 overall this season and 5-0 in dual matches. Mattos and Nicoara earned their first victory of the season, now standing 1-1.
In singles, Wichita St. (1-1) quickly evened up the action when the Shockers’ Tiago Esperito Santo defeated Mattos, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 3.
The Razorbacks then reeled off wins in the next three matches to finish, clinching the match.
Strode notched the Hogs’ first singles win, taking down Vujaklija at No. 1. Hog freshman Dmitry Lebedev made the tally 3-1 after he cruised past Kevin Gardner, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 6. Mascall sealed the Razorback victory with a come-from-behind win at No. 2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, over Gubic.
Strode, the nation’s 57th-ranked player, betters his season totals to 13-4 overall and 4-1 in dual matches. Lebedev notched his third consecutive win and is now 3-3 in duals. Mascall improves to 7-7 overall and 3-2 in duals.
Nicoara was defeated by Santos at No. 4, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, and freshman Dmitry Vlaskin rounded out the scoring for the Hogs with a, 7-5, 6-7, 1-0 (12-10), victory over Ballesta at No. 5.
The Hogs took two matches from Cowley County Community College earlier in the day.
In the morning match, the Razorbacks swept singles and doubles en route to a 7-0 triumph. Nicoara, Vlaskin, Lebedev, Drew Sosebee, Jorge Villanueva and Branden Joost all earned victories for the Hogs.
The afternoon contest feature just singles, and the Razorbacks captured all five matches. Joost, Sosebee, John Shults, Brian Yanulis and Braden Burks were each victorious.
Arkansas returns to action Friday when they host 62nd-ranked and regional rival Oklahoma at 5 p.m. The match will be held at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center.
#30 Arkansas 5, Wichita St. 2
February 6, 2007
Fayetteville, Ark.
Singles
1. #57 Blake Strode (UA) def. Goran Vujaklija (WSU), 7-5, 6-0
2. Colin Mascall (UA) def. Boris Gubic (WSU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. Tiago Esperito Santo (WSU) def. Gabriel Mattos (UA), 6-3, 6-2
4. Thiago Dos Santos (WSU) def. Andrei Nicoara (UA), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
5. Dmitry Vlaskin (UA) def. Albert Ballesta (WSU), 7-5, 6-7, 1-0 (12-10)
6. Dmitry Lebedev (UA) def. Kevin Gardner (WSU), 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 6, 1, 2*, 4, 5
Doubles
1. Mascall/Strode (UA) def. Gubic/Vujaklija (WSU), 8-4
2. Esperito Santo/Gardner (WSU) def. Jorge Villanueva/Vlaskin (UA), 8-5
3. Mattos/Nicoara (UA) def. Ballesta/Dos Santos (WSU), 8-6
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
#30 Arkansas 7, Cowley County CC 0
February 6, 2007
Fayetteville, Ark.
Singles
1. Andy Nicoara (UA) def. Richard Filkuka (CC), 6-2, 6-1
2. Dmitry Vlaskin (UA) def. Diego Motivar (CC), 6-7, 6-3, 1-0(6)
3. Dmitry Lebedev (UA) def. Lukas Hyl (CC), 6-3, 6-2
4. Drew Sosebee (UA) def. Clay Cypert (CC), 7-5, 6-3
5. Jorge Villanueva (UA) def. Jim Blacketer (CC), 6-1, 6-1
6. Branden Joost (UA) def. Sean Cobble (CC), 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Nicoara/Joost (UA) def. Filkuka/Hyl (CC), 8-6
2. Vlaskin/Lebedev (UA) def. Motivar/Blacketer (CC), 8-3
3. Sosevee/Villanueva (UA) def. Cypert/Cobble (CC), 8-6
#30 Arkansas 5, Cowley County 0
February 6, 2007
Fayetteville, Ark.
Singles
1. Branden Joost (UA) def. Clay Cypert (CC), 3-6, 7-6, 1-0 (6)
2. Drew Sosebee (UA) def. Jim Blacketer (CC), 6-1, 6-2
3. John Shults (UA) def. Sean Cobble (CC), 6-1, 6-0
4. Brian Yanulis (UA) def. Michael Nguyen (CC), 6-2, 6-4
5. Braden Burks (UA) def. Brian Cross (CC)
