Women's Tennis Posts Second Straight Win

Sunday, April 8

Buck Bouldin Tennis Center

1:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

Troy

Photo by: MT

4/9/2007 10:02:00 AM | Women's Tennis

By: MT Media Relations

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee won the doubles point and junior Claudia Szabo won the deciding match in three sets, leading the Blue Raiders to their second straight victory in a 4-3 triumph over Troy late Sunday afternoon at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center. Middle Tennessee (6-11) posted a second consecutive win for just the second time all season and the first time since claiming victories in the first two matches of the spring. The Blue Raiders started strong, winning the first two completed doubles matches. Pooja Kommireddi and Marlene Chemin claimed an 8-1 victory over Fabiana Gouvia and Caroline Jounia at No. 3 before Hala Sufi and Szabo posted an 8-0 triumph at No. 1 against Rawia Elsisi and Annabelle Bares for the first point of the match. Troy's Claudia Strauss and Stephanie Vieria defeated Stephanie Parkison and Ann-Kristin Siljestrom, 8-2, at No. 2. Parkison gave the Blue Raiders a quick 2-0 lead in the match with a 6-2, 6-0, victory at No. 6 over Gouvia, but the Trojans answered with three straight wins to take the lead. Strauss defeated Chemin, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 3, Vieria won 6-4, 6-4, over Elvira Yusupova at No. 5 and Elsisi posted a 7-6 (5), 6-2, triumph against Siljestrom at No. 2. Sufi, ranked 104th in singles, defeated Bares, 7-6 (5), 6-4, at No. 1, setting up Szabo's come-from-behind clinching victory. The Middle Tennessee junior lost the first set to Jounia, 4-6, but came back to win the final two sets, 7-6 (5) 6-3, for her third victory in the last four matches. "It was a very good victory with contributions from everyone," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "We beat a very good team that's been ranked most of the year. We got off to a good start in doubles and then really battled all the way to the end to get the win. This should really give us some confidence for the conference tournament." Middle Tennessee heads to Reno, Nev., this weekend for matches against Nevada, South Carolina State and Houston. The Blue Raiders will then participate in the Sun Belt Championships, April 20-22, in Denton, Texas. Middle Tennessee 4, Troy 3
SINGLES
1. Hala Sufi (MT) def. Annabelle Bares (Troy), 7-6 (5), 6-4
2. Rawia Elsisi (Troy) def. Ann-Kristin Siljestrom (MT), 7-6 (5), 6-2
3. Claudia Strauss (Troy) def. Marlene Chemin (MT), 6-0, 6-2
4. Claudia Szabo (MT) def. Caroline Jounia (Troy), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3
5. Stephanie Vieria (Troy) def. Elvira Yusupova (MT), 6-4, 6-4
6. Stephanie Parkison (MT) def. Fabiana Gouvia (Troy), 6-2, 6-0
Order of finish: 6,3,5,2,1,4*
DOUBLES
1. Sufi-Szabo (MT) def. Elsisi-Bares (Troy), 8-0
2. Strauss-Vieria (Troy) def. Siljestrom-Parkison (MT), 8-2
3. Pooja Kommireddi-Chemin (MT) def. Gouvia-Jounia (Troy), 8-1
Order of finish: 3,1*,2