Alabama Women's Tennis Begins Season With Two Wins
1/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
 |
|
The 38th ranked University of Alabama women's tennis team defeated Georgia State and Chattanooga on Saturday in Tuscaloosa to kick off their 2003 season.
"I think the team handled the mental challenge very well," UA head coach Jenny Mainz said. "Being that our first two matches were played on the same day."
In their first match, the Crimson Tide defeated Georgia State 7-0. Bama got off to an early 1-0 lead by sweeping the doubles matches to claim the doubles point. At number one doubles, UA's 38th ranked doubles tandem of Millie Begovic and Robin Stephenson defeated GSU's Annamaria Forgacs and Anne Breiholtz 8-3. The Tide's Natalie McElveen and Nathalie Koppelle won 8-1 over the Panther's Karmelina Rivera and Rebecca Mitchell at the number two spot. Alabama's Sophie Cremers and Ashley Bentley defeated Georgia State's Karine Etienne and Christina O'Neal 8-2.
Alabama carried the momentum from doubles over to singles as Bama's 71st ranked Begovic won 6-1, 6-2 over Georgia State's Forgacs at number one singles to put the Crimson Tide up 2-0. Cremers put Alabama up 3-0 with her 6-1, 6-4 victory against GSU's Rivera at number three singles.
Koppelle clinched the win for Alabama as she defeated Georgia State's Mitchell 6-1, 6-1 at number four singles. At number two singles.
Stephenson won 6-4, 7-5 over GSU's Breiholtz. UA's McElveen won the first set 6-0 over GSU's Etienne at number five singles, before Etienne ended the match due to injury. Bama's Melissa Minor won 6-0, 6-1 over the Panther's O'Neil at number six singles.
The Crimson Tide then swept Chattanooga in the second match 7-0.
Bama again won all three doubles matches to take an early lead on the Mocs. The Tide jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Cremers won 6-1, 6-1 over the Mocs' Charlotte Goude at the number three singles position. At number four singles, Koppelle put Alabama up 3-0 with her 6-3, 6-2 victory against Saskia van Velze of Chattanooga.
Bama's Begovic clinched the match by winning 6-1, 6-1 over Catherine Allen at number one singles. UA's McElveen then defeated UTC's Lauren Snipes 6-1, 6-0 at number six singles. To close out the match, the Tide's Marie-France Lord-Andrade defeated Chattanooga's Bethany Everett 6-1, 6-0 at number five singles.
"I was impressed with the team's energy level," Mainz said. "They came out fast and let them know we were going to dictate the points and be in control of the match."
Alabama will host Washington State on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Penn State on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Both matches will be played in the Hank Crisp Indoor Tennis Facility.
No. 38 Alabama vs. Georgia State
Doubles
1. No. 38 Begovic/Stephenson (UA) def. Forgacs/Breiholtz (GSU) 8-3
2. McElveen/Koppelle (UA) def. Rivera/Mitchell (GSU) 8-1
3. Cremers/Ashley Bentley (UA) def. Etienne/O'Neil (GSU) 8-2
Alabama wins the doubles point
Singles
1. No. 71 Millie Begovic (UA) def. Annamaria Forgacs (GSU) 6-1-6-2
2. Robin Stephenson (UA) def. Anne Breiholtz (GSU) 6-4, 7-5
3. Sophie Cremers (UA) def. Karmelina Rivera (GSU) 6-1, 6-4
4. Nathalie Koppelle (UA) def. Rebecca Mitchell (GSU) 6-1, 6-1*
5. Natalie McElveen (UA) def. Karine Etienne (GSU) 6-0, retired
6. Melissa Minor (UA) def. Christina O'Neil (GSU) 6-0, 6-1
* clinched match
Alabama- 7 Georgia State- 0
No. 38 Alabama vs. Chattanooga
Doubles
1. No. 38 Begovic/Stephenson (UA) def. Allen/van Velze (UTC) 8-5
2. McElveen/Koppelle (UA) def. Oulevay/Everett (UTC) 8-6
3. Ashley Bentley/Melissa Minor (UA) def. Goude/Snipes (UTC) 8-1
Singles
1. No. 71 Millie Begovic (UA) def. Catherine Allen (UTC) 6-1, 6-1*
2. Robin Stephenson (UA) def. Cynthia Oulevay (UTC) 6-2, 6-2
3. Sophie Cremers (UA) def. Charlotte Goude (UTC) 6-1, 6-1
4. Nathalie Koppelle (UA) def. Saskia van Velze (UTC) 6-3, 6-2
5. Marie-France Lord-Andrade (UA) def. Bethany Everett (UTC) 6-2, 6-0
6. Natalie McElveen (UA) def. Lauren Snipes (UTC) 6-1, 6-0
* clinched match
Alabama- 7 Chattanooga- 0
