Tulsa Men Fall to Rice in AAC Quarterfinal Round

Friday, April 18

Memphis, Tenn.

2:00 p.m.

Tulsa

Rice

Photo by: Ben Naylor/American Athletic Conference

Tulsa Men Fall to Rice in AAC Quarterfinal Round

4/18/2025 6:06:00 PM | Men's Tennis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The No. 4-seeded Tulsa men's tennis team exited the American Athletic Conference Championship on Friday in a 4-1 loss to fifth-seeded Rice (14-9) at the Leftwich Tennis Center in Memphis.

Tulsa started doubles play with a one-court advantage thanks to a 6-3 win by redshirt freshman Calum Jestin and redshirt junior Will Pellegrini in the third line. But the Owls responded with a 6-4 victory in the No. 2 spot and a 7-5 clip atop the lineup to run away with the doubles point.

The Hurricane tied up the dual match at 1-1 when sophomore Alex Okonkwo took it to Arthus De La Bassetiere at Singles No. 1 for a 6-3, 6-2 straight-set victory. Okonkwo rose to 23-12 overall this school year and 13-8 in dual matches.

The remaining TU players couldn't maintain the momentum as Rice won straight-set matches in the fourth and sixth courts and went to three sets in the remaining three courts. Clinching the match at 4-1 and ending Tulsa's hopes of a tournament run was Rice's Emir Sedogan, who took court No. 4 in a 6-4, 7-5 decision.

Singles
1. #107 Alex Okonkwo (TU) def. Arthus De La Bassetiere (RU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Luis Felipe Miguel (TU) vs. Petro Kuzmenok (RU) 6-2, 4-6, 5-5, unfinished
3. Santiago Navarro (RU) def. Timothy Carlsson Seger (TU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
4. Emir Sendogan (RU) def. Reiya Komagata (TU) 6-4, 7-5
5. Will Pellegrini (TU) vs. Tommy Czaplinski (RU) 1-6, 7-5, 3-4, unfinished
6. Kabeer Kapasi (RU) def. Gus Tettamble (TU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)

Doubles
1. Kuzmenok/Navarro (RU) def. #79 Okonkwo/Seger (TU) 7-5
2. De La Bassetiere/Kapasi (RU) def. Miguel/Tettamble (TU) 6-4
3. Jestin/Pellegrini (TU) def. Czaplinski/Morais (RU) 6-3

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,3,6,4)