Missouri
Arkansas
@MizzouTennis Battles Back But Falls at Arkansas, 4-3
3/15/2019 9:41:00 PM | Tennis
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Mizzou tennis team picked up singles wins from sophomores Taylor Gruber (Spicewood, Texas) and Ellie Wright (Gainesville, Fla.) and freshman Lisa Fukutoku (Tokyo, Japan) but suffered a hard-fought 4-3 loss at Arkansas on Friday afternoon at the Dills Indoor Courts in Fayetteville, Ark.
The Tigers fell to 11-6 overall and 0-5 in Southeastern Conference action, while the Razorbacks improved to 8-8 and 1-4.
SINGLES
Trailing 3-0, Missouri pulled within one, 3-2, with wins from Wright and Gruber. Wright earned a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over Lauren Alter at No. 4 singles to claim her second SEC singles win of the conference slate. A 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 defeat over Jackie Carr from Gruber put the Tigers back in the match with only two singles bouts left.
At No. 1 action, junior Mackenzy Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) forced a decisive third set but ultimately fell to Martina Zerulo, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to clinch the win for the Razorbacks. Minutes later, Fukutoku closed out a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory against Laura Rijkers at No. 3 singles.
Arkansas earned wins at No. 2 and No. 6 action as No. 98 Tatum Rice defeated junior Serena Nash (Bradford, England), 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 and Miruna Tudor posted a 6-2, 7-5 victory over freshman Vivien Abraham (Budapest, Hungary) at No. 6.
DOUBLES
The Razorbacks notched wins at No. 2 and 3 doubles to take the doubles point to open the match. At No. 2 action, the No. 79 ranked duo of Rijkers and Carr defeated Fukutoku and sophomore Marta Oliveira (Lisbon, Portugal), 6-1, and Nash and Gruber fell to Zerulo and Thea Rice, 6-2, at No. 2.
UP NEXT
Missouri returns home to the Mizzou Tennis Center next weekend to host Texas A&M on Friday, March 22 at 5 p.m. and No. 19 LSU on Sunday, March 24 at Noon.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. #63 Lauren Alter/Tatum Rice (Ark.) vs. #65 Mackenzy Middlebrooks/Ellie Wright (MIZ), 5-2, unfinished
2. Martina Zerulo/Thea Rice (Ark.) def. Serena Nash/Taylor Gruber (MIZ), 6-2
3. #79 Laura Rijkers/Jackie Carr (Ark.) def. Marta Oliveira/Lisa Fukutoku (MIZ), 6-1
Order of finish: 2,3
Singles
1. Martina Zerulo (Ark.) def. #97 Mackenzy Middlebrooks (MIZ), 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
2. #98 Tatum Rice (Ark.) def. Serena Nash (MIZ), 6-1, 6-1
3. Lisa Fukutoku (MIZ) def. Laura Rijkers (Ark.), 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4)
4. Ellie Wright (MIZ) def. Lauren Alter (Ark.), 6-2, 7-6 (5)
5. Taylor Gruber (MIZ) def. Jackie Carr (Ark.), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
6. Mirunda Tudor (Ark.) def. Vivien Abraham (MIZ), 6-2, 7-5
Order of finish: 2,6,4,5,1,6
