The University of South Florida women's tennis team, ranked No. 42 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, dropped their match with No. 19 Clemson, 5-2, on Friday at the USF Varsity Courts. The Bulls are now 3-8 on the year with 10 of 11 matches being against ITA top-50 teams.
“Clemson is very good team, so this is a tough loss for us,” USF head coach Agustin Moreno said. “We had some chances to turn the doubles matches around and we didn't do it, and we could have been a little tougher in the way we played singles.”
The Bulls got two singles wins, but they both came after Clemson had clinched the match. Ecaterina Vasenina defeated No. 58 Keri Wong in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 2, 6-2, 4-6, 10-0, and Loreto Alonso Martinez downed Maria Belaya, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) in the fifth slot. Vasenina is now 9-2 on the year with two wins over ranked opponents.
No. 43 Irene Rehberger faced a tough challenge in No. 15 Josipa Bek at No. 1, falling 6-2, 6-0, while No. 76
Janette Bejlkova lost a three-set battle to Nelly Ciolkowski, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 3.
Alessandra Bonte moved into the No. 4 spot for the day, but couldn't handle No. 104 Klara Vyskocilova, 6-3, 6-1, in the match-clinching contest, and
Kate Parker was beaten 6-0, 6-0 by Caroline Magnusson at No. 6.
USF dropped the doubles point due to losses at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. Irene Rehberger and Ecaterina Vasenina were first off the courts, falling 8-3 to Vyskocilova and Bek in the No. 2 match. Bonte and Parker lost their match to Wong and Henry 8-4 at No. 3 before ITA's No. 42 tandem of Bejlkova and Martinez won their match at No. 1 over Belaya and Magnusson, 8-6.
The Bulls return to action vs. Marquette in their BIG EAST opener on Monday at 11 a.m. ET. Admission to all USF tennis matches is free.
No. 42 USF vs. No. 19 Clemson
March 11, 2011
USF Varsity Courts
Singles
1. No. 15 Josipa Bek (CU) def. No. 43 Irene Rehberger (USF), 6-2,6-0
2. No. 106 Ecaterina Vasenina (USF) def. No. 58 Keri Wong (CU), 6-2, 4-6, 10-0
3. Nelly Ciolkowski (CU) def. No. 76 Janet Bejlkova (USF), 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
4. No. 104 Klara Vyskocilova (CU) def.
Alessandra Bonte (USF), 6-3, 6-1
5. Loreto Alonso Martinez (USF) def. Maria Belaya (CU), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)
6. Caroline Magnusson (CU) def.
Kate Parker (USF), 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish – 6, 1, 4, 2, 5, 3
Doubles
1. No. 42 Bejlkova/Martinez (USF) def. Belaya/Magnusson (CU), 8-6
2. Vyskocilova/Bek (CU) def. Rehberger/Vasenina (USF), 8-3
3. Wong/Henry (CU) def. Bonte/Parker (USF), 8-4
Order of Finish – 2, 3, 1
