Michigan
Tulsa
Wolverines Stumble in Non-Conference Match at Tulsa
3/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Site: Tulsa, Oklahoma (Michael D. Case Tennis Center)
Score: Tulsa 4, Michigan 1
Records: U-M (3-7), Tulsa (11-7)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 15 -- at TCU (Fort Worth, Texas), Noon CDT
TULSA, Okla. -- Redshirt freshman Davis Crocker won the first singles match off the court at the No. 6 position, but it was not enough as the 70th-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision to 29th-ranked Tulsa on Friday night (March 13) at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
The Golden Hurricane began the dual by winning the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. The Tulsa tandem of Mitchell Pritchard and Dylan McCloskey downed sophomores Kevin Wong and Tyler Gardiner, 6-3, at the third position. Moments later, the duo of Or Ram-Harel and Matthew Kirby posted a 6-3 win over U-M seniors Alex Petrone and Michael Zhu at the top of the lineup to give the Golden Hurricane a 1-0 lead. Wolverine freshman Runhao Hua and redshirt freshman Alex Knight trailed Tulsa's Juan Matias Gonzlaez and Alejandro Espejo, 5-2, at the No. 2 spot when doubles play was abandoned.
Transitioning to singles play, the Golden Hurricane won three of the first four singles matches off the court to secure the dual-match victory, notching victories at the No. 1, 2 and 4 positions. U-M's lone victory of the match came at the No. 6 singles spot, where Crocker posted his fourth-straight singles victory of the season, a 6-1, 6-2 decision over McCloskey in the first match off the court. Crocker is now tied for the team high with five singles wins during dual-match play and is 9-8 overall during the 2014-15 campaign.
Shortly after Crocker tied the dual, 1-1, Tulsa responded with three consecutive singles wins to earn its 11th victory of the season. The Golden Hurricane went ahead 2-1 after Kirby defeated Knight, 6-3, 6-4, at the No. 4 spot. They clinched the match soon after as 37th-ranked Ram-Harel posted a 6-3, 6-1 win over Zhu at No. 1, and 100th-ranked Espejo defeated Petrone, 7-6 (1), 6-1.
The Wolverines return to action Sunday (March 15), wrapping up their non-conference slate by squaring off against 17th-ranked TCU (9-6) at noon at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 37 Or Ram-Harel (TU) def. No. 120 Michael Zhu (U-M), 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 -- No. 100 Alejandro Espejo (TU) def. Alex Petrone (U-M), 7-6 (1), 6-1
No. 3 -- Juan Matias-Gonzalez (TU) vs. Runhao Hua (U-M), 5-7, 3-5 DNF
No. 4 -- Matthew Kirby (TU) def. Alex Knight (U-M), 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 -- Mitchell Pritchard (TU) vs. Carter Lin (U-M), 3-6, 6-4, 2-1 DNF
No. 6 -- Davis Crocker (U-M) def. Dylan McCloskey (TU), 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -- Or Ram-Harel/Matthew Kirby (TU) def. Alex Petrone/Michael Zhu (U-M), 6-3
No. 2 -- Juan Matias Gonzalez/Alejandro Espejo (TU) vs. Alex Knight/Runhao Hua (U-M), 5-2, DNF
No. 3 -- Mitchell Pritchard/Dylan McCloskey (TU) def. Tyler Gardiner/Kevin Wong (U-M), 6-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1, Singles 6-4-1-2
Communications Contact: Zach Eisendrath (734) 763-4423
