Mississippi State
Alabama State
MSU Women?s Tennis Sweeps Sunday Doubleheader To Open 2015
January 19, 2015 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a solid fall season, the Mississippi State women's tennis team successfully carried its momentum into the start of the 2015 dual match season Sunday, earning a pair of 7-0 victories against Alabama State and Jackson State at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
With both wins, the Bulldogs open the dual match season at 2-0 overall and have won four consecutive season-opening matches.
MSU wasted no time getting an early advantage in doubles against ASU, as the State duo of Jennifer Brown and Alex Corder took a quick 6-0 decision on court 3 against Matabe Akoachere and Brianna Fairley. Bulldogs Georgiana Patrasc and Louise Ronaldson would follow with the doubles point clincher on court 2, taking the match 6-3 against Irina Cvijovic and Brankica Orlovic. Doubles play would conclude with the sophomore-senior combination of Martina Frantova and Naomi Tran, who edged Marine Cartier and Arantxia Wijngaarde 7-6 (5) at No. 1.
Frantova would be the first to finish in singles, as her opponent, Cartier, was forced to retire due to an injury after the first set, which Frantova had taken 6-2. From there, Guibe would take a quick 6-0, 6-0 decision at No. 6 over Fairley, giving MSU a 3-0 advantage. The junior Patrasc, ranked 76th nationally, would then deliver the match clincher at No. 1, defeating ASU's Wijngaarde 6-3, 6-0.
Two MSU freshmen, Brown and Ronaldson, would also earn wins, defeating their opponents on courts 5 and 4, respectively in straight sets. Tran would close out the match with a 7-6(5), 6-1 win at No. 3, sealing the 7-0 victory against Alabama State.
Much like the first match, the Bulldogs once again got off to a fast start against Jackson State, picking up 6-0 doubles victories at No. 1 and No. 2 (JSU defaulted at No. 3). With Frantova and Tran's victory on court 1, Tran moved into 10th all-time in career doubles victories at MSU with 46, putting her just one win below her former partner, Sasha Perper.
MSU continued on a tear in singles. After JSU defaulted at No. 6 (fielding only five players), Ronaldson earned a 6-3, 6-0 victory on court 3 over Tiger Ilona Zuishliuk. Corder then clinched the match moments later on court 5, earning a 6-1, 6-2 win against JSU's Rebekah Adewumi. Guibe, Brown and Patrasc would later put the exclamation point on the 7-0 victory, earning straight-set wins on courts 4, 2 and 1, respectively.
“It was a solid first day of competition for us,” said MSU women's tennis coach Daryl Greenan. “With most of the team competing in their first dual matches, it was obvious that they were dealing with nerves. They did a good job of playing through them. Overall, it was a good start to build on.”
Mississippi State will now travel to Hanover, N.H., next weekend for the Ivy League Kick-off Classic. The Bulldogs are slated to face Cornell on Saturday, Jan. 24, in the first match at 8 a.m. CT and will then meet either Brown or Dartmouth at the same time on Sunday. Following next weekend's action, MSU will return home on Jan. 31, hosting UAB at 11 a.m.
For more information on Mississippi State women's tennis and updates, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateWT.
Mississippi State 7, Alabama State 0
January 18, 2015 – A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre – Starkville, Miss.
Doubles
1. Frantova/Tran (MSU) def. Cartier/Wijngaarde (ASU), 7-6 (5)
2. Patrasc/Ronaldson (MSU) def. Cvijovic/Orlovic (ASU), 6-3
3. Brown/Corder (MSU) def. Akoachere/Fairley (ASU), 6-0
Singles
1. No. 76 Georgiana Patrasc (MSU) def. Arantxia Wijngaarde (ASU), 6-3, 6-0
2. Martina Frantova (MSU) def. Marine Cartier (ASU), 6-2, ret.
3. Naomi Tran (MSU) def. Irina Cvijovic (ASU), 7-6, 6-1
4. Louise Ronaldson (MSU) def. Brankica Orlovic (ASU), 6-3, 6-1
5. Jennifer Brown (MSU) def. Matabe Akoachere (ASU), 6-0, 6-2
6. Timea Guibe (MSU) def. Brianna Fairley (ASU), 6-0, 6-0
Order of finish
Doubles: 3,2,1
Singles: 2,6,1,5,4,3
Mississippi State 7, Jackson State 0
January 18, 2015 – A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre – Starkville, Miss.
Doubles
1. Frantova/Tran (MSU) def. Butorina/Zuishliuk (JSU), 6-0
2. Brown/Guibe (MSU) def. Ananth/Adewumi (JSU), 6-0
3. Corder/Ronaldson (MSU) won by default
Singles
1. No. 76 Georgiana Patrasc (MSU) def. Anastasia Zvyahintseva (JSU), 6-0, 6-3
2. Jennifer Brown (MSU) def. Daria Butorina (JSU), 6-2, 6-1
3. Louise Ronaldson (MSU) def. Ilona Zuishliuk (JSU), 6-3, 6-0
4. Timea Guibe (MSU) def. Akshatha Ananth (JSU), 6-3, 6-0
5. Alex Corder (MSU) def. Rebekah Adewumi (JSU), 6-1, 6-2
6. Naomi Tran (MSU) won by default
Order of finish
Doubles: 3,1,2
Singles: 6,3,5,4,2,1
Players Mentioned
