TCU Women’s Tennis Beats UNT

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DENTON, Texas – TCU’s women’s tennis team fought threw chilly and windy conditions Wednesday to gut out a 4-2 win over North Texas at UNT’s Waranch Tennis Complex.

The 20th-ranked Horned Frogs improved to 7-1 on the year and won for the fifth-straight time. North Texas, ranked 47th, slipped to 6-2. In the all-time series, TCU now holds a 33-1 advantage with the only loss coming in 2012.

“It wasn’t pretty,” TCU coach Dave Borelli said. “But the girls battled and competed and got a win. It was cold, windy and they had a big crowd. I’m proud of the girls for competing and give a lot of credit to North Texas. They are a good team and better than their ranking indicates.”

TCU fell behind early when North Texas claimed the doubles point with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. The Frogs’ 37th-ranked duo of Olivia Smith and Millie Nichols did win for the seventh-straight time with an 8-3 triumph over Valentina Starkova and Barbora Vykydalova.

Smith, who recently earned a career-high ranking of 50th, ran her season record to 7-0 when she dismissed Starkova, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. It tied the match at one, only to see UNT nudge ahead with a win at No. 3 singles.

Federica Denti leveled the match at two with her 7-5, 6-0 win over Franziska Sprinkmeyer at No. 5 singles. It was the Bellano, Italy, native’s fifth win in six tries this season. Nichols put TCU ahead for the first time with her 7-5, 7-5 downing of Ilona Serchenko at No. 4 singles.

With the match at six singles in a third set, sophomore Stefanie Tan, ranked 54th, gutted out a 7-5, 7-6 win over Kseniya Bardabush at No. 1 singles to score TCU’s fourth and final point. The remaining match at six was called to a halt.

TCU returns to action March 6 when it travels to UT Arlington.