Tulsa Grabs 6-1 Win Over Middle Tennessee in Women’s Tennis

Sunday, February 12

Tulsa, Okla.

2 p.m.

Tulsa

Middle Tennessee

Tulsa Grabs 6-1 Win Over Middle Tennessee in Women’s Tennis

2/12/2017 5:19:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Don Tomkalski

The Tulsa women's tennis team moved its season record to 8-2 overall following a 6-1 victory Sunday afternoon over Middle Tennessee State at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.

After Tulsa captured the doubles point, Martha Matoula put the Hurricane ahead 2-0 with her 6-1, 6-1 victory at the No. 5 position over MTSU's Marta Peris Herrero. No. 4 Mahitha Dadireddy was not far behind as she claimed a 6-2, 6-2 win over Luisa Zirilli to give Tulsa a 3-0 lead.

Tulsa's No. 1 player, Ksenia Laskutova, clinched the match victory for the Hurricane with a fourth team win when she defeated Marie Josefina Zehnder in two sets, 6-2, 6-3.

Rongrong Leenabanchong dropped the first set 6-2 to Costanza Magazzini at flight #2, but rebounded to win the second set 6-3, and went on for a 12-10 win in the tiebreaker third-set to put the Hurricane up 5-0. Marcelina Cichon went straight sets in her victory at No. 6, winning 6-3 and 7-5 over Sarah Sediri, to put Tulsa ahed 6-0.

At the No. 3 position, freshman Martina Okalova dropped her first set 6-2, before rallying to tie the match at 6-3 in the second set. In the tie-breaking third set, Okalova jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then went down 5-4 before tying the set at 8-8. Lidia Burrows won the final two points for a 10-8 tiebreaker win to claim Middle Tennessee's lone victory on the day.

The Hurricane dropped the first match in doubles competition, but the No. 1 team of Laskutova and Okalova and No. 2 team of Leenabanchong and Matoula each claimed 6-1 victories to give Tulsa the doubles point and a 1-0 lead. Both doubles teams started out 2-0, then dropped their third game before rallying for four straight points and the victory.

Tulsa is back in action on February 18 against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Okla. Tulsa returns to the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on March 3 to host the Purdue Boilermakers in a 5 p.m. match-up.

Singles
1.   Ksenia Laskutova (TU) def. Maria Josefina Zehnder (MT) 6-2, 6-3
2. Rongrong Leenabanchong (TU) def. Costanza Magazzini (MT) 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10)
3. Martina Okalova (TU) lost to Lidia Burrows (MT) 2-6, 6-3, 0-1 (8)
4.   Mahitha Dadireddy (TU) def. Luisa Zirilli (MT) 6-2, 6-2
5.   Martha Matoula (TU) def. Marta Peris Herrero (MT) 6-1, 6-1
6.   Marcelina Cichon (TU) def. Sarah Sediri (MT) 6-3, 7-5

Order of Finish: 5, 4, 1, 2, 6, 3

Doubles
1.   Laskutova/Okalova (TU) def. Zehnder/Sediri (MT) 6-1
2.   Leenabanchong/Matoula (TU) def. Horsfall/Zirilli (MT) 6-1
3.   Cichon/Dadireddy (TU) lost to Magazzini/Burrows (MT) 6-0

Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2