No. 4 Texas split its weekend matches to conclude a three-match road swing.
Tulsa handed Texas its first loss of the season on Friday in a stunning 4-3 upset. But Texas bounced back on Sunday to crush No. 19 Arkansas, winning the doubles point and the first three singles points en route to a 5-2 victory.
“We learned a lot about ourselves this weekend,” head coach Michael Center said. “We’re still finding our way and our lineup, but I thought we just learned a lot about how we need to compete and be prepared mentally. Overall, I’m just proud of how the guys responded. It was a team effort.”
Texas freshman Christian Sigsgaard continued his remarkable season with another upset victory. The Dane claimed a win at first singles, defeating No. 3 Mike Redlicki. Redlicki won the singles title at the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in New York City only two months prior.
“Christian played a heck of a match today,” Center said. “If (Redlicki) is not the best player in the country, he is certainly one of the very best. He’s a senior who just won the National Indoors, so that’s a tremendous win for Christian.”
Texas sophomore Harrison Scott also continued his strong season, improving to 4-0 in dual match play with a pair of singles victories. The Longhorns’ weekend, however, didn’t start as positively as it finished.
On Friday, Texas split its singles matches 3-3, but dropped the doubles point to lose 4-3 against Tulsa at the Michael Case Tennis Center in Oklahoma. Texas has won three of its five doubles points this season.
Texas fought back behind dominant wins from sophomores Harrison Scott and Leonardo Telles.
Scott posted a 6-3, 6-2 victory at fourth singles over Tulsa’s Okkie Kellerman to even the score. Telles cleaned up a 6-0, 6-1 match over Daniel Santos at sixth singles to give the Longhorns a 2-1 lead.
But, the Golden Hurricane would not be denied. Tulsa answered at first and second singles with victories over Texas freshmen Sigsgaard and Yuya Ito.
Texas senior George Goldhoff took the win at third singles over Dominic Bechard by a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 count and the team match outcome fell to a singles matchup between redshirt sophomore Julian Zlobinsky and Tulsa’s Mitchell Pritchard.
After dropping the first set 7-6, Zlobinsky forced a third by way of a 6-4 second-set victory. Pritchard secured the one service break he needed midway through the set to finish the match out 6-4 and hand Texas a crushing blow.
Texas returns home on Saturday to host the start of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend event at Texas’ Weller Indoor Tennis Center.
