Blue Raiders Drop 4-3 Decision

Friday, February 17

Troy, Ala.

5:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

#72 Troy

2/17/2006 7:54:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: MT Media Relations

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee won three singles matches and lost two others in three sets, falling, 4-3, to 72nd-ranked Troy Friday afternoon in Troy, Ala. in women's tennis action. The Blue Raiders fell to 3-4 on the season after their second straight road loss. The team plays at UAB Sunday at 10 a.m. and at Ole Miss Friday before returning home next Sunday. The Trojans (2-0) won the doubles point with victories at Nos. 1 and 2. Tsitsi Masviba and Claudia Strauss defeated Marlene Chemin and Claudia Szabo, 8-0, at No. 1, and Rawia Elsisi and Nicole Shaw won 8-4 at No. 2 over Ann-Kristin Siljestrom and Kelly Adams. Middle Tennessee won the No. 3 doubles outing, with Pooja Kommireddi and Elvira Yusupova taking care of Annabelle Bares and Shamiaa Elsisi, 8-6. In singles the Trojans came from behind to win in three sets at Nos. 1 and 2 and also picked up a straight-set victory at No. 3 for the four points. The Blue Raiders won the final three singles matches, including one in three sets. At No. 1 Rawia Elsisi defeated Chemin, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, and Masviba won 4-6, 6-0, 6-1, over Szabo at No. 2. Strauss took care of Yusupova at No. 3, 6-2, 6-1. Middle Tennessee's wins came in the bottom of the lineup, with Siljestrom prevailing 3-6, 6-2, 7-6, over Bares at No. 4. Adams won 6-2, 7-5, over Caroline Jouanin, 6-2, 7-5, and Kommireddi moved to 6-1 in singles action this season with a 7-6, 6-3, triumph over Shamiaa Elsisi. "We could have easily won 5-2 today. We were in control at 1 and 2 and lost both," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "It was a very close match and Troy is a good team. There other win came against Mississippi State, who is ranked in the 30's." Ojeda said her team still has some things to work out, most notably in doubles. "Right now we're still trying to figure out what our best doubles combinations are and that's just going to take some more matches to find out who to play together so we can win two of the three doubles matches," she said. "One other thing today was that we played outdoors and that's good but it's also not so good because we haven't been able to get outside to practice because of the weather." Ojeda added the Blue Raiders could have won the match with just a few breaks, but all but one of the matches could have gone Middle Tennessee's way. "Marlene was up a set and a break and had two match points and just wasn't able to close it out. And Claudia did everything well in the first set to get ahead and then didn't play as well in the second set. It was very doubtful that Ann-Kristin would even play today because she's been sick, and then she fights back from two match points down to win. And Pooja has also been a little under the weather and she comes back from down 5-2 in the first set to pull out a huge win." #72 Troy 4, Middle Tennessee 3
SINGLES
1. Rawia Elsisi (TROY) def. Marlene Chemin (MT), 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
2. Tsitsi Masviba (TROY) def. Claudia Szabo (MT), 4-6, 6-0, 6-1
3. Claudia Strauss (TROY) def. Elvira Yusupova (MT), 6-2, 6-1
4. Ann-Kristin Siljestrom (MT) def. Annabelle Bares (TROY), 3-6, 6-2, 7-6
5. Kelly Adams (MT) def. Caroline Jouanin (TROY), 6-2, 7-5
6. Pooja Kommireddi (MT) def. Shamiaa Elsisi (TROY), 7-6, 6-3
DOUBLES
1. Masviba-Strauss (TROY) def. Chemin-Szabo (MT), 8-0
2. R. Elsisi-Nicole Shaw (TROY) def. Siljestrom-Adams (MT), 8-4
3. Kommireddi-Yusupova (MT) def. Bares-S. Elsisi (TROY), 8-6