Hurricane Women Fall to Illinois to Open Blue Gray Classic

Friday, February 23

Montgomery, Ala.

10:30 a.m.

Tulsa

Illinois

Photo by: Campbell Rogerson

Hurricane Women Fall to Illinois to Open Blue Gray Classic

2/23/2024 5:54:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score (PDF)Season Results (PDF)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Tulsa women's tennis team squared up against the nation's 24^th-ranked team in the Illinois Fighting Illini at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic but fell 4-0 Friday in the opening round. The Golden Hurricane fell to 5-6 on the year, while the Illini improved to 8-2.

It was a back-and-forth battle for the doubles point as Illinois grabbed a 6-1 win at the No. 2 position followed by a 6-4 victory by junior Ana Naranjo Martinez and freshman Tayla Wilmot in the No. 3 spot. Junior duo Maria Berlanga Bandera and Lily Hutchings fought for 13 games, forcing a tiebreaker at six games all. The Fighting Illini would win the tiebreak, the match and the doubles point to gain the early advantage.

Illinois clinched the match with singles wins in the bottom half of the lineup with straight-set victories. Berlanga, Oleksandra Nahurska and Hutchings left their matches unfinished in the top three spots. Berlanga and Hutchings each forced third sets after bouncing back with second-set wins.

Tulsa ended the day with the doubles portion of the first-round consolation match against No. 43 Arizona, who suffered a 4-3 heartbreaker to No. 36 Alabama Friday morning. The Wildcats took positions two and three to run away with the doubles score, leaving Berlanga and Hutchings' match at No. 1 Doubles unfinished.

The Hurricane will resume with the singles portion of the Arizona match tomorrow morning. Time to be determined.

#24 Illinois 4, Tulsa 0 --

Singles
1. Maria Berlanga Bandera (TLS) vs. Megan Heuser (ILL) 3-6, 7-5 unfinished
2. Oleksandra Nahurska (TLS) vs. Violeta Martinez (ILL) 2-6, 4-3 unfinished
3. Lily Hutchings (TLS) vs. Kasia Treiber (ILL) 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 unfinished
4. McKenna Schaefbauer (ILL) vs. Ana Naranjo Martinez (TLS) 6-3, 6-2
5. Josie Frazier (ILL) def. Myroslava Zelenchuk (TLS) 6-3, 6-1
6. Kida Ferrari (ILL) def. Erin McKenzie (TLS) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles
1. Alice Xu/Megan Heuser (ILL) def. Maria Berlanga Bandera/Lily Hutchings (TLS) 7-6 (7-5)
2. McKenna Schaefbauer/Violeta Martinez (ILL) def. Erin McKenzie/Saniya Singh (TLS) 6-1
3. Ana Naranjo Martinez/Tayla Wilmot (TLS) def. Josie Frazier/Kida Ferrari (ILL) 6-4

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

#43 Arizona 1, Tulsa 0 –

Doubles
1. Maria Berlanga Bandera/Lily Hutchings (TLS) vs. Brandelyn Fulgenzi/Reece Carter (ARIZ) 4-5 unfinished
2. Martyna Ostrzygalo/Belen Nevenhoven (ARIZ) def. Saniya Singh/Myroslava Zelenchuk (TLS) 6-3
3. Kayla Wilkins/Teja Tirunelveli (ARIZ) def. Ana Naranjo Martinez/Tayla Wilmot (TLS) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles ()