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May 2, 2010

Photo Gallery | Video

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas junior Ed Corrie broke a 3-3 tie and registered the clinching point with a three-set win over Texas A&M's Jeff Dadamo, as the third-ranked and top-seeded Longhorns (25-2) edged the 10th-ranked Aggies (23-6) by a 4-3 count Sunday in the finals of the 2010 Big 12 Championship. 

UT wins its fourth Big 12 postseason tournament title, its first since 2006 and the second for 10th-year head coach Michael Center.  Texas completes a sweep of the league's championship hardware after securing the Big 12 regular season crown on April 25.  Texas sophomore Jean Andersen was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after going 2-0 in his singles matches.

Corrie won the first set off of Dadamo at second singles before Dadamo rallied to pick up the second.  Corrie and Dadamo each held serve through the first seven games of the decisive third set, but Corrie registered the one service break he needed in the eighth game, as he assumed a 5-3 lead.

At 15-all in the following service game, Dadamo smacked a forehand into the net, and on the ensuing point, Dadamo whipped a Corrie serve into the net to set up two match points for the UT junior.  Corrie left nothing to chance on the next point, as he unloaded a service ace to finish off the Texas victory and commence a raucous Longhorns celebration. 

Texas dealt Texas A&M a 7-0 defeat on April 21 in Austin, but the Aggies forced Texas to go the distance to collect the win on Sunday.  A&M started by winning the doubles point with victories at the first and second slots.  UT's Andersen and Vasko Mladenov opened with an 8-3 win at third doubles over the Aggies' Alberto Bautista and Colin Hoover.  Texas A&M responded with a win at first doubles, where Dadamo and Austin Krajicek posted an 8-4 win over UT's Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh Zavala.

The decisive match at second doubles featured a tight battle between the Texas tandem of Corrie and Kellen Damico and the Aggies' duo of Marcus Lunt and Alexey Grigorov.  With the match tied at six, Lunt and Grigorov broke the serve of Corrie and Damico to assume a 7-6 lead.  The Texas duo managed to save multiple match points in the next service game, but A&M prevailed and won the match, 8-6  to give the Aggies the doubles point.

UT's 10th-ranked Kutrovsky defeated the Aggies' seventh-ranked Krajicek 11 days ago in Austin and he was victorious once more on Sunday, as he dealt the All-American a 6-3, 6-2 defeat at first singles to even the match at one.  Texas' Zavala followed suit at fifth singles, where he knocked off Alberto Bautista by a 6-2, 6-1 count to give UT a 2-1 lead.  The Aggies' Grigorov evened the match at two after finishing off Texas' Damico at third singles, 7-6 (2), 7-5.

UT's Andersen held off A&M's Alexis Klegou at fourth singles by a 6-3, 6-4 count to give Texas a 3-2 lead, but the Aggies' Lunt prolonged the match with a 6-1, 6-4 win over UT's Mladenov at sixth singles to set the stage for Corrie's clincher at second singles.       

2010 Big 12 Tennis Championships
Men's Final
#1 Texas 4, #2 Texas A&M 3
Doubles - Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
1 #5 Austin Krajicek/Jeff Dadamo (TAMU) def. #6 Dimitar Kutrovsky/Josh Zavala (UT) - 8-4
2 #43 Marcus Lunt/Alexey Grigorov (TAMU) def. #33 Ed Corrie/Kellen Damico (UT) - 8-6
3 Jean Andersen/Vasko Mladenov (UT) def. Alberto Bautista/Colin Hoover (TAMU) - 8-3
Singles - Order of Finish: 1, 5, 3, 4, 6, 2
1 #10 Dimitar Kutrovsky (UT) def. #7 Austin Krajicek (TAMU) - 6-3, 6-2
2 #20 Ed Corrie (UT) def. #44 Jeff Dadamo (TAMU) - 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
3 Alexey Grigorov (TAMU) def. #96 Kellen Damico (UT) - 7-6 (2), 7-5
4 Jean Andersen (UT) def. Alexis Klegou (TAMU) - 6-3, 6-4
5 #95 Josh Zavala (UT) def. Alberto Bautista (TAMU) - 6-2, 6-1
6 Marcus Lunt (TAMU) def. Vasko Mladenov (UT) - 6-1, 6-4

Records: Texas 25-2; Texas A&M 23-6;
Match Notes: Texas wins its fourth Big 12 Championship and its first since 2006. UT's Jean Andersen was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the men's championship.
Time of Match: 3:19

POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas head coach Michael Center
On his team's performance: That was an incredible match. Texas A&M has a great team and this is the third time we have played them. It is really hard to beat a team three times in the same year. We knew we would get a great effort out of them today and the doubles did not go our way. We had some opportunities early at two doubles and we didn't get that point but the guys just stuck together and kept fighting.

Texas junior Ed Corrie
On winning the clinching match: Unfortunately I couldn't close it out in two, and that put a lot of pressure on me. And then the third set was just a dog fight. I tried to stay ahead when I could and just keep holding onto my serve because I knew that was key. (Texas A&M's Jeff) Dadamo serves so well and coming down the stretch I had to make him play tough balls and capitalize on those.

Texas A&M head coach Steve Denton
On his team's performance: It was a great match and both teams played their hearts out. It was a hotly-contested doubles and singles. Somebody had to lose that match today. I have talked to all these Big 12 coaches and we all know that we are all getting better due to these close matches.