Alabama
Southern Miss
No. 25 Women's Tennis Sweeps Doubleheader
1/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 23, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The 25th-ranked women's tennis team opened its 2010 dual match season with a pair of wins against UAB and Southern Mississippi Saturday at the University of Alabama Tennis Stadium. The Crimson Tide defeated the Blazers 6-1 to open the day and followed that up with another 6-1 victory, with the only loss being a forfeit on singles court six, over the Golden Eagles.
"Even though today was a long day we got some very valuable, much-needed matches," head coach Jenny Mainz said of the Tides doubleheader. "I liked the way we played against Southern Mississippi with our backs against the wall, and it got tight for a while but we were able to fight our way through. I also thought we got better as the day went on and played with much more conviction and purpose."
No. 25 Alabama 6, UAB 1
In the morning match, Alabama dominated in-state foe UAB coming out on top 6-1. The Tide dropped a total of seven games to the Blazers in doubles action, winning all three courts in convincing fashion. The tandem of senior Paulina Bigos and junior Meritt Emery quickly claimed an 8-1 victory over junior Jennifer Cape and freshman Menanteau Moolman at the No. 3 spot. Freshman Alexa Guarachi and senior Alice Tunaru finished moments later on court two to clinch the doubles point, earning an 8-2 win over UAB's junior duo of Brittany DeFelice and Giorgia Romeo. The matchup on court one was more competitive, but the sophomore Courtney McLane and freshman Antonia Foehse teamed up to down sophomore Paula Alvarez and junior Evelien Strijker 8-5 to complete the doubles sweep for Alabama.
Singles play saw Alabama take control of all but one court quickly. Emery reeled off the first eight games of her match against Moolman at the No. 4 spot before dropping serve at 2-0 in the second set. However, that would be the only game the Tide junior lost on her way to a 6-0, 6-1 victory. McLane won the first 10 games of her match on court one against Strijker before the Blazer junior could get on the board. Strijker could not maintain any moment however, and McLane cruised 6-0, 6-1. Foehse, playing in her first collegiate dual match, delivered the clinching win for Alabama by defeating DeFelice 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 5 position.
Guarachi, also competing in her first dual match and ranked No. 82 in the nation, took the opening set on court two 6-2 and appeared to be on her way to another easy victory for the Tide when she went up 4-1 in the second set. However, Alvarez was able to get the set back on serve at 4-3. Guarachi picked up the level of her game, breaking right back for 5-3 and served out the match in the next game. Tunaru fought through a tough 6-3 opening set at the No. 6 spot, and ran away with the second set by winning four straight games on her way to 6-3, 6-2 victory. The only compelling match took place between Bigos and Romeo on court three. Bigos dropped the first set 6-3, but battled back in the second. The two players struggled to hold serve throughout the set, which eventually went to a tiebreaker. Bigos jumped ahead quickly in the tiebreaker, taking it seven point to three. Play was stopped after the completion of the second set since the dual match had already been decided.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. McLane/Foehse (UA) def. Alvarez/Strijker (UAB) 8-5
2. Guarachi/Tunaru (UA) def. DeFelice/Romeo (UAB) 8-2
3. Bigos/Emery (UA) def. Cape/Moolman (UAB) 8-2
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
Singles
1. Courtney McLane (UA) def. Evelien Strijker (UAB) 6-0, 6-1
2. No. 82 Alexa Guarachi (UA) def. Paula Alvarez (UAB) 6-2, 6-3
3. Giorgia Romeo (UAB) def. Paulina Bigos (UA) 3-6, 7-6(3), ret.
4. Meritt Emery (UA) def. Menanteau Moolman (UAB) 6-0, 6-1
5. Antonia Foehse (UA) def. Brittany DeFelice (UAB) 6-1, 6-1
6. Alice Tunaru (UA) def. Jennifer Cape (UAB) 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 4,1,5*,2,6,3
No. 25 Alabama 6, Southern Mississippi 1
Alabama started the match trailing Southern Mississippi 1-0, having to forfeit the No. 6 singles match due to a lack of available players. The Tide also forfeited the No. 3 doubles position, but was still able to claim the doubles point with victories on courts one and two. Guarachi and Tunaru earned an early break at the No. 2 spot, and it looked as if they would be in for an easy win over the Golden Eagle duo of Stephanie Dellocono and Lauren Gutterman. However, Dellocono and Gutterman were able to break back at 6-4, getting things back on serve. The Tide tandem was up to the challenge though, breaking right back and serving out the match for an 8-6 victory. McLane and Foehse were locked in a battle with Elja and Vroni van Berlo on court one until the sisters were broken trailing 5-4. McLane and Foehse did not drop a game the rest of the way, taking the match 8-4 and earning the doubles point for Alabama.
Singles action offered a much easier time for most of the Tide players. Alabama dropped a combined four games on courts one, two, and five on the way to clinching the dual victory. McLane was the first to complete her match, easily defeating Vroni van Berlo 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 1 position. Finishing right behind her was No. 82 Guarachi, taking the first set 6-1 before winning the second without dropping a game on court two. This time, it was a senior delivering the clinching victory, as Tunaru made quick work of Southern Mississippi freshman Francis Askew 6-1, 6-0.
On court three, Bigos found herself in another tight contest. The Tide senior claimed the first set 6-3, and things started out on serve early in the second. Elja van Berlo held for 3-2, and then broke the serve of Bigos to go ahead 4-2. Van Berlo took advantage of having momentum on her side, holding serve in the next game and breaking Bigos at love to win the set 6-2. The third set was decided in a super tiebreak, which Bigos quickly took control of. She went up 4-1, and van Berlo could never recover as Bigos won 10 points to four. The final match of the night took place on court five. Foehse and Gutterman were locked in a battle in the opening set. Foehse had set points on Gutterman's serve at 5-3, but could not capitalize. Then, serving for the set at 5-4, Foehse again could not take advantage and was broken. The Tide freshman was able to rally back ahead by earning a break in the next game, and was finally able to serve out the set 7-5. Foehse had all the momentum on her side, and she took full advantage, winning the second set easily 6-2.
Next up, Alabama travels to Atlanta to compete in ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Tide will battle SEC foe Kentucky, ranked 28th in the nation, on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 8:00 a.m. (CST). Alabama will also face either No. 30 Arizona State or host team No. 10 Georgia Tech on Sunday, Jan. 31.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. McLane/Foehse (UA) def. E. van Berlo/V. van Berlo (USM) 8-4
2. Guarachi/Tunaru (UA) def. Dellocono/Gutterman (USM) 8-6
3. USM won due to forfeit
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
Singles
1. Courtney McLane (UA) def. Vroni van Berlo (USM) 6-1 6-0
2. No. 82 Alexa Guarachi (UA) def. Stephanie Dellocono (USM) 6-1, 6-0
3. Paulina Bigos (UA) def. Elja van Berlo (USM) 6-3, 2-6, 1-0(4)
4. Antonia Foehse (UA) def. Lauren Gutterman (USM) 7-5, 6-2
5. Alice Tunaru (UA) def. Frances Askew (USM) 6-1, 6-0
6. USM won due to forfeit
Order of Finish: 6,1,2,5*,3,4
Players Mentioned
