Tulsa Women’s Tennis Advances to Semifinals With 4-1 Victory Over Tulane

Thursday, April 21

Memphis, TN

12:00 p.m.

Tulsa

Tulane University

Tulsa Women’s Tennis Advances to Semifinals With 4-1 Victory Over Tulane

4/21/2016 4:04:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Drake Allen

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa's 30^th-ranked and No. 1 seeded women's tennis team defeated eighth-seeded Tulane, 4-1, in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Championships on Thursday afternoon at the Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center in Memphis, Tenn. The Golden Hurricane (19-4 overall) will take on fifth-seeded Houston in the semifinals on Friday, April 22, at 3:00 p.m.

Tulsa dominated doubles play as senior Saana Saarteinen and junior Mahitha Dadireddy (No. 3) blanked Jacqui Katz and Kyla Klier in a 6-0 decision. The Hurricane clinched the doubles point to take a 1-0 match advantage going into singles play when junior Rongrong Leenabanchong and freshman Martha Matoula (No. 2) defeated Elena Muller and Naz Karagoz, 6-2.

To begin singles play, Naz Karagoz (No. 2) defeated TU's 121^st nationally-ranked singles player, sophomore Ksenia Laskutova, 6-4, 6-2, to tie the match score at 1-1. Junior Marcelina Cichon (No. 4) gave the Hurricane a 2-1 match lead when she topped Elena Muller, 7-6, 6-2., and then TU's 104^th-ranked senior Saana Saarteinen (No. 1) recorded a 7-5, 6-3 win over Ipek Birol to extend the match lead to 3-1. Junior Rongrong Leenabanchong (No. 3) defeated Kyla Klier, 6-1, 7-5, to clinch the 4-1 victory.

No. 30 Tulsa 4, Tulane 1
SINGLES
1. #104 Saana Saarteinen (Tulsa) defeated Ipek Birol (Tulane), 7-5, 6-3
2. Naz Karagoz (Tulane) defeated #121 Ksenia Laskutova (Tulsa), 6-4, 6-2
3. Rongrong Leenabanchong (Tulsa) defeated Kyla Klier (Tulane), 6-1, 7-5
4. Marcelina Cichon (Tulsa) defeated Elena Muller (Tulane), 7-6, 6-2
5. Renata Kuricova (Tulsa) vs. Jacqui Katz (Tulane), DNF
6. Martha Matoula (Tulsa) vs. Meredith Maltby (Tulane), DNF
Order of singles finish: 2, 4, 1, 3

DOUBLES
1. Laskutova/Kuricova (Tulsa) vs. Birol/Atkinson (Tulane), DNF
2. Leenabanchong/Matoula (Tulsa) defeated Muller/Karagoz (Tulane), 6-2
3. Saarteinen/Dadireddy (Tulsa) defeated Katz/Klier (Tulane), 6-0
Order of doubles finish: 3, 2

For all Tulsa women's tennis news and information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TulsaHurricane.

The University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center is host site for the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Tennis Championships.