University of Missouri
Oklahoma
Sooners Edge Tigers in Final Regular Season Match
4/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
April 19, 2008
Norman, Okla. - The Oklahoma Sooners (11-11/4-7 Big 12) defeated the University of Missouri women's tennis team (10-13/2-9 Big 12), 4-3, Saturday afternoon at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman. The Tigers finish the regular season in 11th place in the Big 12, and will begin the Big 12 Championships Thursday (April 24) in College Station, Texas.
The Tigers won the match's first two points by winning the doubles point and the No. 5 singles match, but the Sooners took four of the five remaining singles matches to win the contest.
Mizzou took control of the match early by wining a close doubles point. At No. 1, the Sooner duo of Ana-Maria Constantinescu and Chelsea Orr beat Mizzou's Kaitlin Dunham and Sofia Ayala, 8-5. At No. 3, Mizzou's duo of Jessica Giuggioli and Kaitlyn Ritchie beat Maria Kalashnikova and Elena Antakova by the same 8-5 score. The doubles point came down to Mallory Weber and Chrissy Svetlic's match against Christi Baxley and Tara Eckel. The Tiger duo prevailed by a 9-7 score, putting Mizzou on top.
In singles action, Ritchie had little trouble getting past Baxley, taking a, 6-0, 6-1, win in the first singles match to finish. Ritchie has now won three conference matches in a row, after beating Oklahoma State's Maryna Tkachenko, 6-2, 6-2, Friday afternoon. Her latest win bring her win total to 18 on the season, which includes fall tournament matches. The freshman from Bartlesville, Okla., finishes the Big 12 season with a 6-5 record, playing in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots.
After Mizzou's short-lived lead, the Sooners took the top four singles matches in straight sets. At No. 1, Constantinescu beat Weber, 6-2, 6-0. Giuggioli attempted a comeback in her match at No. 2 singles, but also fell in straight-sets. Orr took the first set, 6-0, but Giuggioli fought hard in the second set, before falling, 7-1, in the set tiebreaker.
At No. 3, Kalashnikova beat Svetlic, 6-2, 6-1, and at No. 4, Antakova defeated Maureen Modesto, 6-4, 6-1.
After Oklahoma clinched the match with their fourth singles victory, Kaitlin Dunham finished her three-set win over Eckel, to earn her first win in Big 12 play, and her first since Feb. 24. After fighting through an injury, she fought back to finish the regular season on a good note, as she won Saturday's match at No. 6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
The Tigers will now head back to Columbia to prepare for the Big 12 tournament, which begins Thursday (April 24). Check MUTigers.com early next week for a preview of the Championships.
Results
Oklahoma 4, Missouri 3
Doubles
1. Constantinescu / Orr (OU) def. Dunham/Ayala (MU), 8-5
2. Weber/Svetlic (MU) def. Baxley / Eckel (OU), 9-7
3. Giuggioli/Ritchie (MU) def. Kalashnikova / Antakova (OU), 8-5
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Ana-Maria Constantinescu (OU) def. Mallory Weber (MU), 6-2, 6-0
2. Chelsea Orr (OU) def. Jessica Giuggioli (MU), 6-0, 7-6 (1)
3. Maria Kalashnikova (OU) def. Chrissy Svetlic (MU), 6-2, 6-1
4. Elena Antakova (OU) def. Maureen Modesto (MU), 6-4, 6-1
5. Kaitlyn Ritchie (MU) def. Christi Baxley (OU), 6-0, 6-1
6. Kaitlin Dunham (MU) def. Tara Eckel (OU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Order of finish: 5, 3, 1, 4, 2, 6
Players Mentioned
