ATHENS, Ga. ? The Mississippi State women's tennis team opened doubles play at the ITA Southern Regional Championships Sunday with two doubles teams posting opening-round wins before bowing out in the round of 16. One MSU player remains alive in singles competition entering the third day of competition on Monday.
A Draw doubles play began with MState's Elna de Villiers and Radka Ferancova downing South Florida's Jessica Zok and Natalie Guevara 8-3. The Mississippi State duo would then fall to the nation's sixth-ranked tandem of Alex Haney and Melissa Koning of Auburn 8-4. Also in the A draw, Ren?e Joseph and Daniela Juskova dropped a tough opening match 8-4 to Troy's Annabelle Bares and Rawia El Sissi.
In B Draw doubles, the MSU tandem of Valeriya Makarycheva and Tatiana Feit claimed victory in their first contest, defeating Stephanie Viera and Caroline Jouanin of Troy 8-5. In their round of 16 affair, the Lady Bulldog pair would fight hard against Jacksonville's Tatiana Soldatova and Iva Jarasova, but eventually fall 8-6.
B Draw singles play continued Sunday with de Villiers and Makarycheva meeting tough competitors from Stetson and Jacksonville, respectively. De Villiers dropped a hard-fought match to Breanna Arkinson 6-4, 6-3 and Lina Xu defeated Makarycheva 6-4, 7-6(6).
In the B consolation draw, Ferancova claimed her first singles victory of the year by defeating Ayano Tanaka of Kennesaw State 6-4, 6-3. As MSU's lone remaining entry in this weekend's tournament, Ferancova will play in the round of 16 of that field Monday.
Also in B consolation draw, Feit faced Juliana Umiki of Jacksonville, but was outlasted in three tough sets, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(10).
MSU RESULTS AT THE ITA SOUTHERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Athens, Ga. ? 10/20/07
SINGLES ? B Draw
Round of 16 ? Breanna Atkinson (Stetson) def. Elna de Villiers (MSU) 6-4, 6-3; Lina Xu (Jacksonville) def. Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) 6-4, 7-6(6).
SINGLES ? B Consolation Draw
First Round ? Radka Ferancova (MSU) def. Ayano Tanaka (Kennesaw State) 6-4, 6-3; Juliana Umiki (Jacksonville) def. Tatiana Feit (MSU) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(10).
DOUBLES ? A Draw
First Round ? Annabelle Bares/Rawia El Sissi (Troy) def. Ren?e Joseph/Daniela Juskova (MSU) 8-4; de Villiers/ Ferancova (MSU) def. Jessica Zok/Natalie Guevara (South Florida) 8-3.
Round of 16 ? Alex Haney/Melissa Koning (Auburn) def. de Villiers/Ferancova (MSU) 8-4.
DOUBLES ? B Draw
First Round ?Makarycheva/Feit (MSU) def. Stephanie Viera/Caroline Jouanin (Troy) 8-5.
Round of 16 ? Tatiana Soldatova/Iva Jarasova (Jacksonville) def. Makarycheva/Feit (MSU) 8-6.
