Søren Hess-Olesen clinched the victory for Texas with a win at No. 1 singles.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas (17-3, 1-0 Big 12) opened Big 12 Conference play with a 4-3 win against conference favorite and third-ranked Oklahoma (16-2, 0-1) on Friday night in front of more than 1,000 fans at Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
It is the 11th-ranked Longhorns' second win against a top-five opponent this season and first win versus Oklahoma since 2010. Texas improves to 9-0 at home in the 28th and final season of Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
Junior All-American No. 21 Søren Hess-Olesen clinched the team win for the Longhorns by defeating No. 2 Axel Alvarez Llamas in a second-set tiebreaker 6-4, 7-6(3). Alvarez Llamas is the highest-ranked opponent Hess-Olesen has defeated during his three-year career at Texas.
"We're just gaining momentum by winning this match," Hess-Olesen said. "It is tough to play the highest-ranked team in the conference in the first match of conference play, but I felt like we were ready for it. Now we need to get ready for the next match on Sunday."
The Longhorns setup Hess-Olesen's match-clincher by winning a hard-fought doubles point and a pair of straight-set victories at position Nos. 5 and 6 in singles.
In doubles action, No. 13 Lloyd Glasspool and Hess-Olsen finished first with an 8-4 victory against No. 17 Andrew Harris and Dane Webb. It marked the ninth win versus a nationally ranked opponent for Glasspool and Hess-Olesen this season.
Oklahoma answered as Guillermo Alcorta and Axel Alvarez Llamas handed Adrien Berkowicz and George Goldhoff their first loss of the dual match season as partners at 8-4. Berkowicz and Goldhoff are 5-1 as doubles partners this spring.
At the No. 3 doubles position, David Holiner and Jacoby Lewis rallied from down 6-3 to defeat No. 72 Nick Papac and Peerakit Siributwong 8-7(5), and clinch the doubles point for the Longhorns.
In singles play, Clement Homs gave the Longhorns a 2-1 team advantage by winning his 11th consecutive singles match versus Austin Siegel at the No. 6 position 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). Homs is 10-0 in dual match play this season.
Nick Naumann's win against OU's Nick Papac in a second-set tiebreaker at the No. 5 position came no more than five minutes before Hess-Olesen's match-clinching win at the No. 1 singles position. Naumann has won four consecutive singles matches and improves to 15-3 this spring.
