Bulls Edge Mustangs in Conference Debut

Sunday, February 18

Dallas, Texas

Noon

University of South Florida

SMU

Bulls Edge Mustangs in Conference Debut

February 18, 2018 | Women's Tennis

Box Score

The USF women’s tennis team beat SMU, 4-3, to start conference play.

DALLAS (Feb. 18, 2018) — The USF women's tennis team defeated SMU, 4-3, to open conference play.

The Mustangs went into singles play with the advantage after winning the doubles point, but the Bulls fought to the finish as senior Jessica Cortes Chaves (Monterrey, Mexico) went into a third set and outlasted Sarai Monarrez Yesaki, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, to clinch the match on court three and give the Bulls a 4-3 victory.

After a Mustang's win on court 1, freshman Evelyne Tiron (Romania) started out singles winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, in the No. 2 spot. On court six, junior Nicole Dzenga (Harare, Zimbabwe) defeated her opponent in two sets, 6-4, 6-4 to kick off the Bulls' comeback.

The Mustangs added one more junior Vanja Klaric (Serbia) fell on court four, but senior Juliana Cardoso (Descalvado, Brazil) won, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, to tie up the match, 3-3. With just one point needed to clinch, Cortes Chaves came through on court three to give USF the 4-3 win.

In doubles, Karina Traxler and Sarai Monarrez Yesaki beat Klaric and Dzenga, 6-1, on court one. SMU clinched the doubles point on court three, 6-1, over Alexandria Mjos (Austin, Texas) and Ana Roman Dominguez (Spain).

Cortes Chaves and Cardoso were tied 3-3 against their opponent, but the match went unfinished.

Quotable

Head coach Cristina Moros on the win:

"I was telling my coaching staff last night that we needed a win where we were in a battle and force us to dig deep then gut it out. I was proud to see our team climb back after a very quick doubles point. Our seniors came up huge at the end and it was so great to see their experience pull them through."

Results
Singles competition
1. AnzhelikaShapovalova (SMU) def. Ana Roman (USF) 6-2, 6-3
2. Evelyne Tiron (USF) def. Liza Buss (SMU) 6-1, 6-3
3. Jessica Chaves (USF) def. Sara Monarrez Yesaki (SMU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
4. Karina Traxler (SMU) def. Vanja Klaric (USF) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
5. Juliana Cardoso (USF) def. Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
6. Nicole Dzenga (USF) def. Nicole Petchey (SMU) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Karina Traxler/Sara Monarrez Yesaki (SMU) def. Nicole Dzenga/Vanja Klaric (USF) 6-1
2. Anzhelika Shapovalova/Tiffany Hollebeck (SMU) vs. Jessica Chaves/Juliana Cardoso (USF) 3-3, unfinished
3. Nicole Petchey/Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU) def. Ana Roman Dominguez /Alexandria Mjos (USF) 6-1

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (2,1,6,4,5,3)
Played Indoors at Ann and Brad Brookshire Family Pavilion

Up Next:
The Bulls head to Norman, Okla. On Feb. 23 for a non-conference match on against Oklahoma at 6:00 p.m.

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. Head coach Cristina Moros will be in her third year at the helm of after leading the program to an American Athletic Conference Championship in 2017.

– #GoBulls –