Mississippi State
Middle Tennessee
Bulldog Women?s Tennis Sweeps Saturday Doubleheader
February 22, 2015 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With conference play set to begin next week, the Mississippi State women's tennis team wrapped up its non-conference slate in a big way, sweeping a pair of victories at McCarthy Gymnasium on Saturday.
State shutout Middle Tennessee (8-3) and Alcorn State (1-7), defeating both teams 5-0 and 4-0, respectively. The Bulldogs improved to 9-1 overall, while picking up their sixth shutout victory of the season.
Starting off the day against Middle Tennessee, the Bulldogs earned a quick victory at the No. 2 position from Jasmine Lee, who defeated MT's Darya Shulzhanok, 6-0, 6-1. The win moved Lee to 5-0 overall, while giving Shulzhanok her first loss of the season. Martina Frantova followed with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 3, against MT's Jesse Grace.
State found itself in a tight battle on courts one and four, as 77th-ranked Georgiana Patrasc overcame a 3-0 deficit in the first set, coming back to force a tiebreaker. Patrasc took the tiebreaker, and eventually, the match, defeating MT's Tiffany William 7-6 (3), 6-4. The clincher would come at No. 4, as freshman Louise Ronaldson fought off a strong effort from Guilia Squadrin, taking a 6-3, 7-6 (3) decision.
Despite the clinch, the Bulldogs played out the match at No. 5, which was in the final game of the second set. MSU's Jennifer Brown came away with the exclamation point, taking a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory against Brittany Huxley.
Mississippi State resumed action a short time later against the Braves of Alcorn State. The Bulldogs began the match by playing doubles, and wasted no time clinching the doubles point. MSU's doubles tandem of Alex Corder and Lee downed the Alcorn State duo of Patricia Normand and Aakanksha Punj 6-0, while Frantova and Tran delivered the clinch with a 6-1 win at No. 1 against Ivana Boberic and Aida Kelic.
Much like the previous outing, it was Lee who finished first in singles, taking a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win on court two against Boberic. After battling through yet another tough first set, Patrasc pulled away in the second for a 7-6 (4), 6-0 victory at No. 1 against Kelic. Later, it was Timea Guibe who clinched the match for the Bulldogs, defeating Ekaterina Potopova 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 3 slot.
With the clinch, play was suspended at No. 4, where MSU's Corder led 2-1 in the first set against Normand.
“I am very pleased with the way that we played today,” said coach Daryl Greenan. “Everyone was really dialed in and competing well.”
Mississippi State will now set its sights on SEC play, as the Bulldogs hit the road next weekend, taking on 12th-ranked Vanderbilt on Friday, Feb. 27, and visiting No. 19 Kentucky on Sunday, Mar. 1.
For more information on Mississippi State women's tennis and updates, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateWT.
No. 71 Mississippi State 5, Middle Tennessee 0
February 21, 2015 - McCarthy Gymnasium - Starkville, Miss.
Singles
1) No. 77 Georgiana Patrasc (MSU) def. Tiffany William (MT), 7-6 (3), 6-4
2) Jasmine Lee (MSU) def. Darya Shulzhanok (MT), 6-0, 6-1
3) Martina Frantova (MSU) def. Jesse Grace (MT), 6-1, 6-2
4) Louise Ronaldson (MSU) def. Giulia Squadrin (MT), 6-3, 7-6 (3)
5) Jennifer Brown (MSU) def. Brittany Huxley (MT), 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
6) Timea Guibe (MSU) vs. Nayara Moreas (MT), did not start
Order of finish:
2,3,1,4,5
No. 71 Mississippi State 4, Alcorn State 0
February 21, 2015 - McCarthy Gymnasium - Starkville, Miss.
Doubles
1) Frantova/Tran (MSU) def. Boberic/Kelic (ASU), 6-1
2) Corder/Lee (MSU) def. Normand/Punj (ASU), 6-0
3) Patrasc/Guibe (MSU) vs. Potopova/Ryan-Bovey (ASU), did not start
Singles
1) No. 77 Georgiana Patrasc (MSU) def. Aida Kelic (ASU), 7-6 (4), 6-0
2) Jasmine Lee (MSU) def. Ivana Boberic (ASU), 6-1, 6-1
3) Timea Guibe (MSU) def. Ekaterina Potopova (ASU), 6-1, 6-3
4) Alex Corder (MSU) vs. Patricia Normand (ASU), 2-1, susp.
5) Naomi Tran (MSU) vs. Aakanksha Punj (ASU), did not start
6) Jennifer Brown (MSU) vs. Anna Kazerina (ASU), did not start
Order of finish:
Doubles: 2,1
Singles: 2,1,3
Players Mentioned
