University of Houston
Louisiana-Monroe
Cougar Tennis Edged by Louisiana-Monroe, 4-3
2/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Feb. 19, 2011
NATCHITOCHES, La. - The University of Houston tennis team dropped a hard-fought decision to Louisiana-Monroe by a score of 4-3 Saturday afternoon in a match that lasted over four hours in Natchitoches, La. The Cougars fell to 6-3 overall, while the Warhawks improved to 7-1 on the season.
"They should be a nationally-ranked team this season, but in hindsight, we had plenty of opportunities to win the match," said head coach John Severance. "For the first time this season, the doubles point came into play, and we need to learn from that and do a better job. We lost as a team today in both doubles and singles, and we need to start capitalizing on the opportunities that we're given."
The Houston tandem of Joanna Kacprzyk and Maja Kazimieruk began doubles play with an 8-4 loss at the No. 2 position to Claire Clark and Monica Winkel, while the freshman duo of Celia Fraser and Jo Garvey dropped an 8-4 decision at the bottom spot to ULM's Ana Burjaili and Vivian Polak as the Warhawks claimed the opening point.
The Cougar pair of Bryony Hunter and Giorgia Pozzan provided the lone bright spot in doubles action, improving to 4-1 this season with an 8-5 victory over Letha Gaigher and Medy Blankvoort at the top position.
The Warhawks opened doubles play with a win at the No. 2 position to take a 2-0 lead before Fraser routed Winkel at the top spot to put Houston on the board.
With the Cougars down 3-1, Kazimieruk posted a dominating 6-0, 6-2 victory over Burjaili, while Hunter followed with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(1) defeat of Blankvoort at the No. 3 position to even the score at 3-3.
The match came down to the No. 4 spot, where Kacprzyk dropped the first set to Polak by a score of 7-5 after leading 5-2, and rallied back from a 5-3 deficit to take the second set 7-5 before falling in the final frame, 6-0.
The Cougars return to action at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday to face Northwestern State (3-1). The Demons had won 20-consecutive matches dating back to last season until Louisiana-Monroe halted the streak on Friday.
SINGLES
1. Celia Fraser (UH) def. Monica Winkel (ULM), 6-4, 6-2
2. Claire Clark (ULM) def. Giorgia Pozzan (UH), 6-1, 6-4
3. Bryony Hunter (UH) def. Medy Blankvoort (ULM), 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(1)
4. Vivian Polak (ULM) def. Joanna Kacprzyk (UH), 7-5, 5-7, 6-0
5. Maja Kazimieruk (UH) def. Ana Burjaili (ULM), 6-0, 6-2
6. Letha Gaigher (ULM) def. Elena Kazakova (UH), 6-4, 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 6, 5, 3, 4*
DOUBLES
1. Hunter/Pozzan (UH) def. Gaigher/Blankvoort (ULM), 8-5
2. Clark/Winkel (ULM) def. Kacprzyk/Kazimieruk (UH), 8-4
3. Burjaili/Polak (ULM) def. Garvey/Fraser (UH), 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3*, 1
*Clinching point
Players Mentioned
