NORMAN, Okla. — Junior Lev Kazakov won in both singles and doubles, but the men's tennis team was handed a 4-2 defeat on Saturday by 18th-ranked Oklahoma at Headington Family Tennis Center.
 
On the same ground as a memorable 4-3 victory two years ago over a seventh-ranked Sooners that marked the highest-ranked team the Big Red has ever defeated in program history, Cornell (2-3) got off to a strong start again on Saturday. Kazakov and junior Joseph McAllister won at No. 3 doubles, 7-5, then the tandem of transfers Jake Hansen and Daniel Soyfer won in a tiebreak at No. 2 to give the upset-minded Big Red a 1-0 lead.
 
Oklahoma (6-2) stormed back in singles with five first-set victories. The lone exception was Kazakov's match at No. 2, which he won in a tiebreaker. He then cruised to a 6-1 win in the second set to close out his opponent and – after the Sooners won in straight sets at Nos. 3 and 4 – tie the match at 2-all. Oklahoma then clinched after capping wins at Nos. 1 and 6.
 
Cornell wraps up its trip to The Sooner State at 10:30 a.m. Central time Sunday, when it visits Tulsa in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
 

#18 OKLAHOMA 4, CORNELL 2

At Headington Family Tennis Center; Norman, Okla.
Singles
1. Alex Bakshi (O) def. Alafia Ayeni, 7-6(3), 6-3
2. #101 Lev Kazakov (C) def. Jake Van Emburgh, 7-6(4), 6-1
3. Ferran Calvo (O) def. Daniel Soyfer, 6-3, 6-3
4. Jochen Bertsch (O) def. Eero Vasa, 6-1, 6-2
5. Pietro Rimondini (C) vs. Mason Beiler, DNF
6. Max Stewart (O) def. Jake Hansen, 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
1. #33 Spencer Papa/Van Emburgh (O) def. Ayeni/Vasa, 6-3
2. Hansen/Soyfer (C) def. Bakshi/Stefano Tsorotiotis, 7-6(1)
3. Kazakov/Joseph McAllister (C) def. Beiler/Calvo, 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2), Singles (4,3,2,1,6)