Hurricane Suffers 4-1 Setback to Purdue

Saturday, February 3

Tulsa, Okla.

10:30 a.m.

Tulsa

Purdue

Photo by: Paris Moua

Hurricane Suffers 4-1 Setback to Purdue

2/3/2024 2:58:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score (PDF)Season Results (PDF)

TULSA, Okla. — In its quest to move to 6-0 in home matches this season, the Tulsa women's tennis team struck first with the doubles point but struggled in singles play to fall 4-1 to the Purdue Boilermakers in the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. The Golden Hurricane dropped to 5-3 on the year while Purdue improved to 5-1.

It was a dogfight for the doubles point as two of the day's three matches would end in 7-6 tiebreaker finishes. After Purdue won the second position 6-4, Tulsa players in the No. 1 and 3 spots fought back to force the tiebreakers at six games all. Junior Ana Naranjo Martinez and freshman Tayla Wilmot would win their match 7-6 (7-3) at No. 3 Doubles followed by juniors Maria Berlanga Bandera and Lily Hutchings 7-6 (7-5) at No. 1 Doubles to clinch the opening score for the Hurricane.

The momentum swapped in singles action as the Boilermakers would take the lead in the dual match 2-1 with a pair of straight-set wins in the first, second and sixth positions.

At No. 3 Singles, Hutchings engaged in a tough three-set battle with Kennedy Gibbs. Hutchings would score the first game point of the match before Gibbs rattled off six straight game-winners to take the first set 6-1. Hutchings would respond in the second stanza, winning the first game and never trailing on the way to a 6-4 second-set win. Gibbs flipped the table in the third set by taking a commanding 4-1 lead over Hutchings and running away 6-3 to seal Purdue's 4-1 decision over Tulsa.

Martinez (6-4, 5-4) and Myroslava Zelenchuk (6-4, 2-6, 2-2) left their matches unfinished in the fourth and fifth positions.

The Tulsa women are back in action at the Case Tennis Center on Friday, Feb. 9, as they take on fellow American Athletic Conference member Tulane (3-0) at 2 p.m.

Singles
1. Csilla Fodor (PUR) def. Maria Berlanga Bandera (TLS) 6-2, 6-3
2. #113 Carmen Gallardo (PUR) def. #125 Oleksandra Nahurska (TLS) 6-3, 6-2
3. Kennedy Gibbs (PUR) def. Lily Hutchings (TLS) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
4. Ana Naranjo Martinez (TLS) vs. Juana Larranaga (PUR) 6-4, 5-4 unfinished
5. Myroslava Zelenchuk (TLS) vs. Tara Katarina Milic (PUR) 6-4, 2-6, 2-2 unfinished
6. Ashlie Wilson (PUR) def. Erin McKenzie (TLS) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles
1. Maria Berlanga Bandera/Lily Hutchings (TLS) def. Csilla Fodor (PUR) 7-6 (7-5)
2. Carman Gallardo/Tara Katarina Milic (PUR) def. Erin McKenzie/Myroslava Zelenchuk (TLS) 6-4
3. Ana Naranjo Martinez/Tayla Wilmot (TLS) def. Ashlie Wilson/Juana Larranaga (PUR) 7-6 (7-3)

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