Mississippi State
Tulane
State Women's Tennis Picks Up Win No. 5
February 25, 2010 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's women's tennis team (5-1) continued its winning ways Thursday with a tight 4-3 win over Tulane (4-3) at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
"It was another close one for us, but I am happy with the way the girls responded today," said Lady Bulldog head coach Daryl Greenan. "Radka continues to play well for us. She came out today and clinched the match and played great. It is another day and more lessons learned."
MSU could not hold on to a strong start in doubles, as Tulane came back after being down on every court to take the elusive point. The lone Lady Bulldog tandem to hold on to its lead was the duo of Radka Ferancova and Mariia Ryzhova. They ousted Tulane's pair of Lindsay Dvorak and Emma Helisten, 8-4.
It was a different story at the first and third position; however, as each MSU duo fell. At the No. 1 court, Natalia Mayuk and Olesya Tsigivntseva built up a 4-1 lead but the Green Wave duo of Mariam Kurdadze and Emma Levy came storming back, taking an 8-6 win. Valeriya Makarycheva and Danielle Terpko also jumped out to a 4-1 advantage, before falling 8-6 to Elizabeth Hamlin and Hila Elster of the Green Wave.
In singles, Tulane's Ester retired on court No. 6 due to injury after building up a 3-0 lead in the first set over Terpko. That point tied the match up at 1-1, leaving the Lady Bulldogs three wins away from the match.
It was State's Ryzhova who would get things started. She was dominant in a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Helisten at the fifth position. Her win was followed up by another straight-set victory by Makarycheva, as the Lady Bulldog ousted Tulane's Dvorak 6-3, 6-2. Meanwhile, at court No. 1 Tulane made the match closer with a hard-fought 7-6, 6-2 win by Kurdadze over MSU's Tsigvintseva.
With the score at 3-2 in State's favor, Ferancova continued her impressive year with a three-set 6-2, 0-6, 6-1 victory to give Mississippi State the match and a 4-2 lead. Mayuk then fell at the No. 3 position to put the final total at 4-3.
Mississippi State will be back in action this weekend, when it hosts a pair of matches against Louisiana-Lafayette and Southern Mississippi. Both contests are slated for a 1 p.m. CT start.
#69 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4, TULANE 3
2/25/10 - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
DOUBLES - Mariam Kurdadze/Emma Levy (Tul) def. Natalia Mayuk/Olesya Tsigvintseva (MSU) 8-6; Radka Ferancova/Mariia Ryzhova (MSU) def. Lindsay Dorvak/Emma Helisten (Tul) 8-4; Elizabeth Hamlin/Hila Elster (Tul) def. Valeriya Makarycheva/Danielle Terpko (MSU) 8-6
SINGLES - Kurdadze (Tul) def. Tsigvintseva (MSU) 7-6, 6-2; Ferancova (MSU) def. Levy (Tul) 6-2, 0-6, 6-1; Hamlin (Tul) def. Mayuk (MSU) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5; Makarycheva (MSU) def. Dvorak (Tul) 6-3, 6-2; Ryzhova (MSU) def.Helisten (Tul) 6-2, 6-2; Terpko (MSU) def. Elster (Tul) 0-3, ret.
Order of finish... Doubles (2, 3, 1) Singles (6, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3,)
Players Mentioned
