Oklahoma State Edges Arkansas in Thrilling Tennis Match
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A hard-fought battle on the tennis court ended with a 4-3 victory for Oklahoma State over Arkansas on Sunday afternoon at the Billingsley Tennis Center. The Razorbacks (7-2) saw a comeback attempt fall just short against the Cowboys (6-2).
The Cowboys gained an early advantage in doubles play. Derek Pham and freshman Charlie Valentine defeated Arkansas’s Connor Smillie and Jakub Vrba, ranked 31st nationally, with a score of 6-3. Oklahoma State then clinched the doubles point as Alessio Basile and Ian Bracks secured a 6-3 win over Dmitry Kopilevich and Brendan Boland.
Oklahoma State continued their momentum into singles play, with Ian Bracks defeating Dmitry Kopilevich 6-1, 6-3 on court five. Arkansas quickly responded, however, as Ben Weintraub achieved a straight-set victory against Williams at the No. 3 position, improving his spring record to a perfect 5-0. The Cowboys countered with a win on court four, where Kobelt bested Elicha Navas 6-4, 6-2.
The Razorbacks then mounted a strong response, winning consecutive singles points on courts one and two. No. 19 ranked Jakub Vrba swept his opponent, and Lukas Palovic also secured a straight-set victory.
The decisive match came down to court six, where Eric Padgham of Arkansas faced Oklahoma State freshman Haydar Gokpinar. The two players engaged in a grueling three-set match that lasted over two and a half hours, trading tiebreaker sets. Gokpinar prevailed, winning 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-1, securing the overall victory for the Cowboys. Gokpinar is now 6-0 on the season, with the first set loss in today’s match being his only dropped set of the year.
This win marks Oklahoma State’s 20th overall victory against Arkansas and extends their winning streak against SEC opponents to four straight matches. Head coach Dustin Taylor now holds a 4-1 all-time record against SEC teams. The Cowboys have won 13 of the last 14 matches against the Razorbacks.
Arkansas will return to action on Sunday, February 15, with a doubleheader in Lincoln, Nebraska, facing Nebraska at 12 p.m. And Creighton at 5:30 p.m.
