Benedejcic, Conde Monfort Lift Tulsa to ITA Kick-Off Championship Match on Sunday vs. No. 5 Duke

Saturday, January 25

Durham, N.C.

9:00 am CT

Tulsa

Mississippi State

Photo by: Bill Powell

Benedejcic, Conde Monfort Lift Tulsa to ITA Kick-Off Championship Match on Sunday vs. No. 5 Duke

1/25/2020 4:13:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. - Freshmen Lian Benedejcic and Laia Conde Monfort pushed the Tulsa women's tennis over its final hurdle on Saturday, as the No. 3-seeded Golden Hurricane (6-0) erased a two-point deficit and upset No. 2-seeded Mississippi State in the Durham regional of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, 4-3.

With the win over the Bulldogs (3-1), the Hurricane earn a spot in Sunday's regional championship match at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center, on the campus of Duke University. Tulsa, who is off to its best start in over a decade, will play the top-seeded and fifth-ranked Blue Devils (3-0) at 1 p.m. CT. The winner will earn an automatic bid to the ITA Division I National Women's Team Indoor Championship in February.

Trailing 3-2, Benedejcic erased a one-set deficit and won back-to-back sets at No. 5 singles to defeat Valeria Nikolaev of Mississippi State 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. The match would then come down to the winner of No. 4 singles. Conde Monfort claimed the opening set, but lost the second set in a tiebreak to Alexandra Mikhailuk. Conde Monfort was tested by the Bulldog in the final frame, but was able to secure the fourth point for TU, 7-5, 6(5)-7, 6-4.

The two freshmen have a combined record of 17-1 over their last 18 singles matches overall. Conde Monfort is now riding a nine-match winning streak at 14-3 overall, while Benedejcic has won seven straight and is 11-4 in singles.

Tulsa also saw wins at No. 1 and No. 6 singles, respectively. At No. 1 singles, Martina Okalova faced her third nationally-ranked opponent this year in No. 84 Emma Antonaki. But the 52nd-ranked Hurricane handled the Bulldog 7-5, 6-2. Marina Davtyan also captured a straight sets win at No. 6 singles over Marta Falceto, 6-3, 6-0.

In doubles, Okalova and Vera Ploner captured their third victory over a top 60 opponent this season, as the 40th-ranked tandem blanked No. 43 Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine, 6-0. Laia Conde Monfort and Megan Hopton fell 6-4 to No. 45 Antonaki and Mikhailuk, so the decisive doubles point came down to Shura Poppe and Elodie Foster at No. 3 doubles. The two were able to erase a two-point deficit, forcing a tiebreak, but Sara Lizariturry and Marta Falceto. claimed the doubles point for the Bulldogs, 7-6(1).

Fans can follow tomorrow's match vs. Duke via live stats and live stream.

For all Tulsa women's tennis news and information, visit TulsaHurricane.com. Be sure to follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tulsa vs. Mississippi State Final Results
Singles competition
1. #52 Martina Okalova (TLS-W) def. #84 Emma Antonaki (MS) 7-5, 6-2
2. Tamara Racine (MS) def. Shura Poppe (TLS-W) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
3. Magda Adaloglou (MS) def. Vera Ploner (TLS-W) 6-1, 6-2
4. Laia Conde Monfort (TLS-W) def. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MS) 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
5. Lian Benedejcic (TLS-W) def. Valeria Nikolaev (MS) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
6. Marina Davtyan (TLS-W) def. Marta Falceto (MS) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. #40 Martina Okalova/Vera Ploner (TLS-W) def. #43 Magda Adaloglou/Tamara Racine (MS) 6-0
2. #45 Emma Antonaki/Alexandra Mikhailuk (MS) def. Laia Conde Monfort/Megan Hopton (TLS-W) 6-4
3. Sara Lizariturry/Marta Falceto (MS) def. Shura Poppe/Elodie Foster (TLS-W) 7-6 (7-1)

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,6,1,2,5,4)