SMU W-Tennis Defeats UCF
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DALLAS (SMU) — Vaszilisza Bulgakova clinched the match with a come-from-behind, three-set victory, as the SMU women’s tennis team improved to 6-0 on the season with a 4-3 victory over UCF on Saturday afternoon at the SMU Tennis Complex.
“We never panicked,” said head coach Kati Gyulai. “We played this whole match, for the most part, being down. We kept coming. Our effort and our attitude were fantastic. I’m very proud of our fight.”
SMU (6-0, 1-0 The American) dropped the doubles point for the first time this season. Hristina Dishkova and Holly Verner earned the lone doubles win, defeating Sofia Baptista and Clare Mendell, 6-1, in the No. 2 slot.
In the No. 1 doubles match, Bulgakova and Dasha Sharapova fell to Caroline Eberhart and Kenna Johnson, 6-4. The doubles point came down to the No. 3 match, where the Mustangs’ Yana Erkeeva and Mary Wright lost to Cortney Cesarini and Monica Matias, 7-5.
In singles, Dishkova evened the score at 1-1, cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Eberhart in the No. 1 match. UCF’s Sofia Baptista answered, pushing the Knights back ahead with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Wright in the No. 6 slot. Sharapova tied the score back at 2-2, defeating Johnson, 6-3, 6-3, in No. 3 singles.
The Knights (4-4, 0-1 The American) pulled within a point of
clinching in the No. 2 match, as Cesarini defeated Anna Kate Anderson in two sets, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
Erkeeva, playing in her first singles match of the spring, defeated Mandell in No. 4 singles, 7-6 (5), 6-2, evening the score at 3-3.
The match came down to Bulgakova and Matias in the No. 4 match. Bulgakova fought back after dropping the first set, 7-6 (1), winning both the second and third sets, 6-3, and clinching the match for the Mustangs.
“We have to continue with the same type of energy and be a little sharper in doubles on key points,” said Gyulai. “We have to expect to take leads and keep playing with the lead.”
The Mustangs return to action tomorrow versus No. 62 USF at 12 p.m. CT at the SMU Tennis Complex. Admission is free.
