University of Missouri
Oklahoma
Tigers Fall to No. 31 Oklahoma
3/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
March 27, 2010
Norman, Okla. -
The University of Missouri women's tennis team battled hard but was defeated 6-1 by the 31st-ranked Oklahoma (11-2, 2-1 Big 12) on Friday evening at the Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavillion.
“Oklahoma is a good team, and we were able to hang in this match until the end.,” said Missouri Head Coach Blake Starkey.
Missouri (5-9, 0-3 Big 12) started the match by dropping the doubles point, despite picking up a big doubles win at No. 1. Senior Sofia Ayala and sophomore Jamie Mera were first off the court for the Tigers, defeated, 8-6, by Oklahoma's Marie-Pier Huet and Tara Eckel. The Sooners clinched the doubles point with an 8-4 win at No. 3 over Tigers Kristen Bleakley and Andrea Lewis, 8-4. The last match on the courts, juniors Mallory Weber and Kaitlyn Ritchie powered their way to an 8-7 (5) victory over the 21st-ranked duo of Ana-Maria Constantinescu and Teona Tsersvadze. With the win, Weber and Ritchie pick up their third consecutive victory, and improve to 2-1 in conference.
Constantinescu, the 90th-ranked singles player in the NCAA, extended Oklahoma's lead by putting together a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory over Ritchie at No. 1. Freshman Maria Christensen fell to OU's Tsertsvadze, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4. Senior Sofia Ayala was defeated by Kristina Radan, 6-3, 7-6 (7). Freshman Andrea Lewis was topped at No 6 by the Sooners' Eckel, 6-1, 6-1.
The final two matches on court both took to three sets to determine a winner. The contest at No. 2 singles ended first with Huet outlasting Mera, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. The final match was a showdown between Weber and Kalashnikova. Weber improved her record to 9-5, and took down her third straight opponent by defeating Kalashnikova, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-3.
The Tigers return to action Sunday when they travel to Stillwater, Okla. to face No. 61 Oklahoma State at 1 p.m.
No. 31 Oklahoma 6, Missouri 1
Doubles
1. Weber/Ritchie (MU) def. No. 21 Constantinescu/Tsertsvadze (OU), 8-7(5)
2. Huet/Eckel (OU) def. Ayala/Mera (MU), 8-6
3. Kalashnikova/Radan (OU) def. Kristin Bleakley/Lewis (MU), 8-4
Order of Finish: 2,3,1
Singles
1. No. 90 Ana-Maria Constantinescu (OU) def. Kaityln Ritchie (MU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
2. Marie-Pier Huet (OU) def. Jamie Mera (MU), 2-6,6-2, 6-4
3. Mallory Weber (MU) def. Maria Kalashnikova (OU), 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3
4. Teona Tsertsvadze (OU) def. Maria Christensen (MU), 6-2, 6-3
5. Kristina Radan (OU), Sofia Ayala (MU), 6-3, 7-6(7)
6. Tara Eckel (OU) def. Andrea Lewis (MU), 6-1, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6, 4, 1, 5, 2, 3
Players Mentioned
