Oklahoma State’s seven-match winning streak is over.
The No. 24 Cowboys hosted No. 20 Memphis in a top-25 match on a windy Saturday afternoon, and the Tigers defeated the Cowboys, 4-2.
The Cowboys are 11-3 with losses to Middle Tennessee, No. 4 Texas and now No. 20 Memphis. OSU coach Dustin Taylor said there were a few things that did not go their way in Saturday’s match.
“And that’s the sport right there,” Taylor said. “You put it on the line, the guys put it on the line. They’ve been working hard. Obviously you want them to get what you feel like they deserve but, tip your hat to Memphis, that’s a really good team.”
It all started in one of the longest doubles points of the season. The point came down to the last court in a tiebreaker.
Freshmen Erik Schiessl and Goran Zgola fought until the end but fell to the Tigers, 6-7 (6). The Cowboys lost the doubles point for the first time since January. Taylor said the Tigers took the momentum into singles, and they could not wind them down.
“It definitely takes a little bit of the wind out of your sails,” Taylor said. “Losing the doubles point like that definitely gives you a little breath of fresh air when you win one. We knew it was going to be a tall task reeling off four out of six singles on a team like that after losing the doubles point like that. The guys were close, so I was proud of them.”
The Cowboys and Tigers split, 3-3, on first sets in singles, and two of the matches went into third sets. In the end, the Cowboys could not get it done. OSU’s Alessio Basile said you don’t always win, but it’s about getting ready for the next one.
“Definitely a match we thought we could win for sure,” Basile said. “If we win this match, we’re top 15, and the momentum would be crazy on our side. Our team for the last couple of weeks kept the momentum on our side. It’s a bit rough to end like this today, but we’re gonna fight to get it back on our side.”
No. 20 Memphis 4, No. 24 Oklahoma State 2
Singles competition
1. Pablo Alemany (MEM) def. No. 15 Tyler Zink (OSU) 6-3, 6-3
2. Connor Gannon (MEM) def. No. 49 Alex Garcia (OSU) 7-6(5), 6-2
3. Issac Becroft (OSU) def. Harry Rock (MEM) 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
4. Erik Schiessl (OSU) vs. Pau Fanlo (MEM) 6-4, 5-7, 0-1, unf.
5. Alessio Basile (OSU) def. Moritz Kudernatsch (MEM) 6-3, 6-2
6. Maxime Dubouch (MEM) def. Francisco Pini (OSU) 6-3, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. No. 25 Pablo Alemany/Charlie Berry (MEM) def. Tyler Zink/Alex Garcia (OSU) 6-4
2. Isaac Becroft/Alessio Basile (OSU) def. Connor Gannon/Harry Rock (MEM) 6-2
3. Pau Fanlo/Sam Reeve (MEM) def. Erik Schiessl/Goran Zgola (OSU) 7-6(6)
Order of finish:
Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,1,6,3,2)