Lady Bulldog Tennis Drops Heartbreaker To South Alabama, 4-3

Sunday, February 24

Starkville

1:00 p.m.

Mississippi State

South Alabama

Lady Bulldog Tennis Drops Heartbreaker To South Alabama, 4-3

February 24, 2008 | Women's Tennis

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Visiting South Alabama registered two three-set singles victories to edge past Mississippi State 4-3 in women's tennis action Sunday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the MSU campus. The loss was the first of the year for State (5-1) while USA remained undefeated at 7-0.

With State leading 3-2 in the match, Mississippi State's Renee Joseph had taken the first set against USA's Michaela Babicova on court #2. However, Babicova came back and won the second. In a grueling third set, Babicova was able to pull out the victory for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 win.

That tied the match at 3-3 with the No. 6 position to decide the match. There, South Alabama's Jelena Krivacevic grabbed the first set against Lady Bulldog Valeriya Makarycheva 6-2. Makarycheva would bounce back and take the second set 7-5. In a very hard-fought third set, Krivacevic outlasted Makarycheva 6-4 for the 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory to clinch the team win.

USA grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the match by claiming what ended up being a crucial point in doubles. MSU grabbed the first doubles match at the No. 3 position with an 8-4 win by Daniela Juskova and Makarycheva over South Alabama's Erica Krisan and Krivacevic. At No. 2, USA's pairing of Babicova and Katie Welch downed State's tandem of Radka Fereancova and Joseph 8-5. On court #1, Adrianna Solarova and Sylvanie Spangenberg of USA secured the doubles point with an 8-6 win over Martina Banikova and Elna de Villiers.

In singles, MSU grabbed the first point off the court to even the score at 1-1 as Juskova defeated Spangenberg 6-1, 6-4 on court #4. USA would come right back with Solarova positng a 7-6(5), 6-1 win over Banikova on court No. 1 to make the score 2-1 Jaguars. Then, at the No. 3 position, Lady Bulldog Radka Ferancova claimed a straight-set 6-1, 6-2 victory over Krisan to knot the score at 2-2.

State then grabbed a 3-2 lead with another straight-set victory on court No. 5, where de Villiers defeated Welch of USA 6-4, 6-4.That set up the dramatic finish on courts 2 and 6.

“The doubles point cost us the match today,” said head coach Tracy Lane. “We kind of slacked off a little bit towards the end of doubles play and South Alabama came out in singles ready to play.”

The Lady Bulldogs will see their next action of the 2008 regular season with a pair of tough matches at home this Friday and Sunday to open Southeastern Conference competition. MSU will entertain fourth-ranked Georgia at 2 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 29, before welcoming 23rd-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, Mar. 2, at 1 p.m.

#59 SOUTH ALABAMA 4, #75 MISSISSIPPI STATE 3

February 24, 2008 ? Starkville, Miss.

DOUBLES ? Adrianna Solarova (USA) def. Martina Banikova/Elna de Villiers (MSU) 8-6; Michaela Babicova/Katie Welch (USA) def. Radka Ferancova/ Renee Joseph (MSU) 8-5; Daniela Juskova/Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) def. Erica Krisan/Jelena Krivacevic (USA) 8-4.

SINGLES ? Solarova (USA) def. Banikova (MSU) 7-6(5), 6-1; Babicova (USA) def. Joseph (MSU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4; Ferancova (MSU) def. Krisan (USA) 6-1, 6-2; Juskova (MSU) def. Spangenberg (USA) 6-1, 6-4; de Villiers (MSU) def. Welch (USA) 6-4, 6-4; Krivacevic (USA) def. Makarycheva (MSU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)