ORLANDO (April 21, 2017) – Junior Juliana Cardoso (Descalvado, Brazil) defeated Dasha Sharapova to lead the USF women's tennis team to a 4-2 victory over SMU, and clinch a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Bulls continue to use the doubles point to gain ground as sophomores Vanja Klaric (Serbia) and Nicole Dzenga (Harare, Zimbabwe) took court three, 6-4, over SMU's Sharapova and Mary Wright.
After a crucial tiebreak win on court one by seniors Vera Bessonova (Moscow, Russia) and Olga Martinez (Barcelona, Spain) to clinch the doubles point, the Bulls and Mustangs were evenly matched across the six singles courts.
Dzenga carried her energy from a doubles win into singles. She took court four with a straight-set pair of 6-2 wins, but SMU would answer on court two with a 6-2, 6-0 win and again on one, 6-3, 6-2 over sophomore Ana Roman Dominguez (Spain).
Courts three, four and six would go to the Bulls in the opening set, but SMU came back and took the second set on all three.
Klaric put the Bulls back in the lead. After battling through her first and second sets, 7-5, and 2-6, Klaric put SMU's Ana Perez-Lopez away, 6-1 in the third.
With just one point needed to clinch and send the Bulls to the title match, two Bulls remained in the fight. A trip to the conference championship depended on juniors Cardoso and Jessica Cortes Chaves (Monterrey, Mexico), but both matches went into the third set.
Ultimately, Cardoso defeated Sharapova, 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-4, sending the Bulls to their third American Athletic Conference Championship appearance.
Seniors Bessonova and Martinez will hope to earn their second conference championship after winning as freshman in 2014.
Up Next:
The Bulls will take on top-seeded Tulsa for The American's Conference Tournament Championship match Saturday at 3 p.m. The American will broadcast live here. Live stats will be available here.
Results:
Singles:
1. Buss, Liza (SMU) def. Roman Dominguez, Ana (USF) 6-3, 6-2
2. Monarrez Yesaki, Sarai (SMU) def. Bessonova, Vera (USF) 6-2, 6-0
3. Cardoso, Juliana (USF) def. Sharapova, Dasha (SMU) 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-4
4. Klaric, Vanja (USF) def. Perez-Lopez, Ana (SMU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
5. Dzenga, Nicole (USF) def. Anselmo, Charline (SMU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Cortes Chaves, Jessica (USF) vs.
Doubles:
1. Bessonova/Martinez (USF) def. Perez-Lopez A (SMU) / Monarrez Yesaki S (SMU) 7-6(5)
2. Cortes Chaves/ Cardoso vs. Buss L (SMU) / Elliott M (SMU) unfinished
3. Klaric/Dzenga def. Wright M (SMU) / Sharapova D (SMU) 6-4
Be sure to follow USF women's tennis on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF women's tennis program returns all singles players from a squad that advanced to the championship match of the conference tournament. Head coach Cristina Moros will be in her second year at the helm of the program after leading USF to an impressive 17-7 season in 2016.
– #GoBulls –
