The Oklahoma State men’s tennis team defeated Utah, 4-3, in its Big 12 season opener on March 13 at the Eccles Tennis Center in Salt Lake City.
This win brings the Cowboys’ record to 14-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Utes fall to 4-10 and 0-1 in the Big 12. The victory is notable as it marks Oklahoma State’s first road win in Big 12 play since March 23, 2024, when they beat Texas Tech. It is also the team’s first-ever Big 12 match and win over Utah, maintaining a perfect all-time record of six wins against the Utes.
Oklahoma State started strong by securing the doubles point with victories on courts two and three. Alessio Basile and Haydar Gokpinar won their match on court three, improving their partnership record to seven wins and one loss this season. Derek Pham and Charlie Valentine earned a hard-fought win on court two. The doubles match on center court was left unfinished during a tiebreaker.
In singles play, both teams traded points as three matches went to a third set. Utah took early leads with wins on courts four and five before Basile and Gokpinar helped Oklahoma State regain momentum. Basile won his match after taking a key tiebreaker in the first set, while Gokpinar secured his team-high fourteenth singles victory of the season. After another Utah win tied up the score, Pham clinched the overall victory for Oklahoma State by winning a decisive third-set tiebreaker on court three.
The Cowboys will continue their road trip with a match against Brigham Young University in Provo within two days.
For ongoing coverage of Oklahoma State men’s tennis, fans are encouraged to visit okstate.com or follow @CowboyTennis on social media.
