Mississippi State
Memphis
Lady Bulldogs Remain Unbeaten In 6-1 Triumph Over Memphis
February 19, 2009 | Women's Tennis
“It was a great win for us,” said head coach
The Lady Bulldogs started the day off with the senior duo of Martina Banikova and Elna de Villiers jumping out to an early 5-0 lead on court No. 2 in doubles. At the No. 3 position, the MSU tandem of Radka Ferancova and Daniela Juskova also get off to a good start, picking up the quick 3-1 advantage, as the freshman pair of Natalia Mayuk and Olesya Tsigvintseva found themselves in a close 2-2 affair early on.
All three doubles teams would hang on to give State the point. Banikova and de Villiers lead the entire way for the 8-2 victory over UM's Kristin Chamberlin and Dara Toulch. At position No. 3, MSU's Ferancova and Juskova also held for an 8-2 triumph over the Tiger's Robyn Jones and Marjorie Ondeck. While the two State teams on courts two and three won with relative ease, the MSU freshman tandem went back and forth, but finally came up with the 8-5 win over UM's Ashley Murdock and Sarah Irvin, snapping a three-match losing streak.
As they have done in every contest this season, the Lady Bulldogs entered singles play with a 1-0 lead. Looking for three more points to clinch the match, MSU got off to an impressive start in singles.
Tsigvintseva came out with a quick 6-0 first-set victory at position No. 2, while Banikova, Ferancova, de Villiers and Mayuk each jumped out to a 3-2 lead on their respective courts. State lost the first set at court No. 5, however, as Mayuk fell 6-4.
MSU went on to take the next two sets, as de Villiers won 6-2 at the No. 4 position and Ferancova battled for a 6-3 lead on court No. 3. With State taking the first set on three courts, the team put itself in good position the rest of the way.
Picking up the first singles win for MSU was Tsigivintseva. She took the match 6-0, 6-2 over UM's Sarah Irvin.
Following her victory, State's de Villiers gave the team a 3-0 lead with her 6-2, 6-0 straight-set victory at position four. Needing just one more point to clinch the match, the Lady Bulldogs hoped to grind out a win on one of the final four courts.
That match-clinching point came from Mayuk. After losing the first set, Mayuk battled back for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 triumph. With the match in hand, two courts were still in play. Makarycheva won in a three sets, 7-5, 1-6, 1-0, at the No. 6 position, while Ferancova won in a tight 6-3, 7-6(6) match on court No. 3, moving her record to 7-0 in singles play and putting State up 6-0.
Banikova suffered State's only setback of the day in a very close 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 loss to UM's Ashley Murdock at the No. 1 position.
The undefeated Lady Bulldogs will look to continue their impressive winning streak when they play host to East Tennessee State at home next Saturday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m. CT. Admission is free to all.
#67
Feb. 19, 2009 ?
DOUBLES ? Natalia Mayuk/Olesya Tsigvintseva (MSU) def. Ashley Murdock/Sarah Irvin (UM) 8-5; Martina Banikova/Elna de Villiers (MSU) def. Kristen Chamberlin/Dara Toulch (UM) 8-2; Radka Ferancova/Daniela Juskova (MSU) def. Marjorie Ondeck/Robyn Jones (UM) 8-2.
SINGLES ? Murdock (UM) def. Banikova (MSU) 7-6, 4-6, 6-4; Tsigvintseva (MSU) def. Irvin (UM) 6-0,6-2; Ferancova (MSU) def. Ondeck (UM) 6-3, 7-6(6) ; de Villiers (MSU) def. Jones (UM) 6-2, 6-0; Mayuk (MSU) def. Lindsey Wiseman (UM) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) def. Amanda Brown (UM) 7-5, 1-6, 1-0.
