Tulsa Falls to USF in The American Tennis Championship, 4-2

Saturday, April 22

Orlando, Fla.

2 p.m.

Tulsa

USF

Tulsa Falls to USF in The American Tennis Championship, 4-2

4/22/2017 5:39:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Riley Ubben

ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Tulsa Women's Tennis team's bid for a third straight American Athletic Conference Championship fell just short on Saturday afternoon at the USTA National Campus as they were defeated by USF 4-2 in the title match. The Hurricane (20-7 Overall) won the first sets in each of the top four position in singles play having needed to win four after dropping the doubles point in a tiebreak.

Tulsa opened doubles play with a win at the No. 1 spot as Ksenia Laskutova and Mahitha Dadireddy put together a 6-2 win over Vera Bessonova and Olga Martinez before Rongrong Leenabanchong and Martha Matoula fell 6-3 in their doubles match as both squads split.

The freshman doubles duo of Martina Okalova and Vera Ploner fought back to take a 5-4 lead over Nicole Dzenga and Vanja Klaric after trailing 2-0 in a match that needed a tiebreak to decide the point. USF took an early advantage in the tiebreak before Okalova and Ploner rallied back once again to pull within one at 3-2 in the eventual 7-6 (3) loss.

The Hurricane were in a 2-0 deficit after Marcelina Cichon was forced to retire with injury on court six after taking a 2-1 lead in the third set.

Okalova put the Hurricane on the board with a furious comeback at the No. 4 position, taking the final five games in the second set to come away with a 6-2, 7-5 win that put Tulsa in striking distance down 2-1.

After Leenabanchong fell in a three-set match to Vera Bessonova 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 on court two, Dadireddy kept Tulsa alive with their second and final singles point of the afternoon. The senior controlled the first set against Juliana Cardoso 6-1 before dropping the second in a tiebreak. Dadireddy controlled the deciding third set 6-1 to bring the score to 3-2.

Matoula bounced back to force a third set against Dzenga on court five, taking the second set 6-4 after trailing 3-1 in the frame. USF went on to clinch the final singles point needed with a 6-4 win in the third.

Doubles
1. Ksenia Laskutova/Mahitha Dadireddy (Tulsa) def. Vera Bessonova/Olga Martinez (USF) 6-2
2. Juliana Cardoso/Jessica Cortes-Chaves (USF) def. Rongrong Leenabanchong/Martha Matoula (Tulsa) 6-3
3. Nicole Dzenga/Vanja Klaric (USF) def. Martina Okalova/Vera Ploner (Tulsa) 7-6 (3)

Singles
1. Ksenia Laskutova (Tulsa) vs. Ana Roman-Dominquez (USF) 6-1, 4-6, 3-3, unfinished
2. Vera Bessonova (USF) def. Rongrong Leenabanchong (Tulsa) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4
3. Mahitha Dadireddy (Tulsa) def. Juliana Cardoso (USF) 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-1
4. Martina Okalova (Tulsa) def. Vanja Klaric (USF) 6-2, 7-5
5. Nicole Dzenga (USF) def. Martha Matoula (Tulsa) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
6. Jessica Cortes-Chaves (USF) def. Marcelina Cichon (Tulsa) 6-1, 1-2, retired