Mississippi State
Alabama
Mikhailuk, Pitta Secure Top 10 Doubles Shutout
March 22, 2024 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Alexandra Mikhailuk and Athina Pitta earned the biggest doubles win of Mississippi State's season to date by dominating the No. 7 doubles duo in the country. Â
Mikhailuk and Pitta blanked Alabama's Loudmilla Bencheikh and Anne Marie Hiser 6-0 on Friday to earn their ninth victory together. It was just the fifth time Bencheikh and Hiser have been defeated in 18 matches this year.
Mikhailuk and Pitta's monumental triumph should come as no surprise to any that followed the tandem during the fall. Back in October, Mikhailuk and Pitta became the first MSU team to ever win the ITA Southern Regional Doubles Championship and went on to represent the Bulldogs at the ITA Fall National Championships in San Diego, California.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Friday's top doubles 10 win was not enough as they fell 4-0 to the 21st-ranked Crimson Tide inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion.
When Alabama (14-3, 5-2 SEC) cliched Friday's match, State held a lead on two of the remaining three singles courts that were abandoned. Mikhailuk was on the verge of her first ranked singles win of the year, holding a 6-3, 5-3 lead over 46th-ranked Bencheikh on Court 1.
Alessia Tagliente claimed her first set against the Tide's Anna Parkhomenko 6-3, was edged 4-6 in the second and was up 1-0 in the third when play was halted.
Chris Hooshyar's Bulldogs (9-9, 0-6 SEC) face their seventh-straight ranked opponent as No. 18 Auburn comes to town at noon on Sunday followed by a non-conference tilt with Mississippi Valley State at 4 p.m.
No. 21 Alabama 4, Mississippi State 0Rula Tennis Pavilion | Starkville, Miss.
March 22, 2024
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Doubles
1. Alexandra Mikhailuk/Athina Pitta (MSU) def. No. 7 Loudmilla Bencheikh/Anne Marie Hiser (UA) 6-0
2. Anna Parkhomenko/Petra Sedlackova (UA) def. Chloé Cirotte/Jayna Clemens (MSU) 6-2
3. Klara Milicevic/Ola Pitak (UA) def. Dharani Niroshan/Alessia Tagliente (MSU) 6-0
Order of finish: (3,1,2)
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Singles
1. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) vs. No. 46 Loudmilla Bencheikh (UA) 6-3, 5-3, unfinished
2. No. 104 Petra Sedlackova (UA) def. Maria Rizzolo (MSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Anne Marie Hiser (UA) def. Chloé Cirotte (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
4. Athina Pitta (MSU) vs. Ola Pitak (UA) 6-7(9), 0-2, unfinished
5. Klara Milicevic (UA) def. Jayna Clemens (MSU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Alessia Tagliente (MSU) vs. Anna Parkhomenko (UA) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0, unfinished
Order of finish: (3,5,2)
For more information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateWT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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Players Mentioned
