TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? On a day where the weather forced play indoors, Mississippi State's women's tennis team fell Friday, dropping a tough 4-3 decision to the University of Alabama. The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 5-4 overall and 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference with the loss. Alabama improved to 3-7 overall and 1-2 in the SEC.
MSU got off to a quick start by capturing the first doubles match with a strong 8-1 win by Radka Ferancova and Renee Joseph over Bianca Svensson and Alice Tunaru at the No. 2 position. However, in the other two matches, Alabama would outlast MSU with identical 9-8 tiebreak wins to capture the doubles point. On court No. 3, Daniela Juskova and Valeriya Makarycheva would fall to Tiffany Welcher and Meritt Emery. To finish out doubles play, MSU's 45th-ranked duo of Martina Banikova and Elna de Villiers were defeated by Alabama's Andrea Brenes and Paulina Bigos on court No. 1.
After just a few games in the books, singles play was moved indoors midway through the first sets. Once inside, Alabama took a 2-0 advantage when Welcher completed a 6-3, 6-0 victory over MSU's Banikova at the No. 1 position. MSU would come right back with de Villiers defeating Meritt Emory 6-1, 7-5.
MSU would then take a 3-2 lead with hard-fought comeback victories in two three-set matches. Both Joseph and Ferancova rallied from a set down to outlast their opponents. Joseph provided a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 win over Alabama's Tunaru to tie the match at 2-2. Then, on court No. 3, Ferancova would claim a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) victory over Bigos, overcoming a 5-2 deficit in the third set.
But Alabama would put a halt to the MSU comeback bid by posting straight-set wins on courts 5 and 6 to clinch the match. MSU's DeAndra Saddler would fall to Svensson 6-3, 6-2 on court No. 5. The match-clincher then came at the No. 6 spot, where AU's Shelly Godwin bested State's Makarycheva 6-4, 6-3.
Mississippi State continues its road trip by travelling to Auburn on Sunday. The match versus the Tigers is slated for 1 p.m. CT.
ALABAMA 4, MISSISSIPPI STATE 3
March 7, 2008 ? Tuscaloosa, Ala.
DOUBLES - Andrea Brenes/Paulina Bigos (UA) def. #45 Martina Banikova/Elna de Villiers (MSU) 9-8(6); Renee Joseph/Radka Ferancova (MSU) def. Bianca Svensson/Alice Tunaru (UA) 8-1; Tiffany Welcher/Meritt Emery (UA) def. Daniela Juskova/Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) 9-8(1).
SINGLES ? Welcher (UA) def. Banikova (MSU) 6-3, 6-0; Joseph (MSU) def. Tunaru (UA) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; Ferancova (MSU) def. Bigos (UA) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(6); de Villiers (MSU) def. Emery (UA) 6-1, 7-5; Svensson (UA) def. Saddler (MSU) 6-3, 6-2; Shelly Godwin (UA) def. Makarycheva (MSU) 6-4, 6-3.
(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)
