University of Houston
UConn
Houston Sweeps UConn in American Quarterfinals
4/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
TULSA, Okla. -- The No. 29 University of Houston tennis team overcame a strong effort by eighth-seeded UConn to win their American Athletic Conference Championship quarterfinal match, 4-0, on Thursday afternoon at the Case Tennis Center. With the win, the top-seeded Cougars (21-4) advanced to Friday's semifinal round, where they will face fourth-seeded SMU.
In addition to booking Houston's passage to the American semifinals, Thursday's win added to the team's program-record winning streak, which now stands at 17 matches. The Cougars have not lost since Feb. 14.
"UConn came out strong today and played well in doubles, so that point was a little closer than we would have liked," said Houston Head Coach Patrick Sullivan. "But we did what we needed to do at the right time, and a win is a win. We're happy to advance, and we will be more prepared tomorrow."
The doubles point didn't come easily for the Cougars. Houston won the second court, 6-4, with Tina Rupert and Rocio Martin dropping Zaina Zaki and Emma Alderman. But moments later, UConn (15-9) evened things up with Maxene Weinberg and Srna Stosljevic winning the top court from Elena Kordolaimi and Despoina Vogasari, 6-4.
That left it up to Angela Lorenzo and Mina Markovic on court three, and Houston's freshmen did not disappoint. The duo bested Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva and Summer Walker, 7-5, to secure the first point for UH.
Lorenzo kept rolling in singles play, dominating Shea Flanagan, 6-0, 6-2, to double the lead with a victory on court six. Martin followed with her second victory of the day, a 6-3, 6-1 win over Walker on court four to put Houston on the brink of advancing with a 3-0 lead.
No. 110 Kordolaimi struck the final blow for Houston. Her win in the second flight, a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Alderman, gave Houston a 4-0 result.
With the fourth point on the board, UH and UConn halted the remaining three courts.
Kordolaimi's win was her 22nd dual victory of the season, which stands alone as the fifth-highest total in Houston history. It was also her 49th career dual win at Houston, ninth in the Cougar record books.
Overall this season, Kordolaimi is 30-6. She is the first Cougar to win 30 matches in one campaign since Kami Miller accomplished the feat in 2004-05.
Lorenzo is now 17-2 on the season, with a seven-match winning streak, and Martin improved to 15-10.
 | RESULTS |
SINGLES
1. #77 Despoina Vogasari (UH) vs. Srna Stosljevic (UCONN) unfinished
2. #110 Elena Kordolaimi (UH) def. Emma Alderman (UCONN) 6-3, 6-2
3. Tina Rupert (UH) vs. Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva (UCONN) unfinished
4. Rocio Martin (UH) def. Summer Walker (UCONN) 6-3, 6-1
5. Mina Markovic (UH) vs. Zaina Zaki (UCONN) unfinished
6. Angela Lorenzo (UH) def. Shea Flanagan (UCONN) 6-0, 6-2
DOUBLES
1. Maxene Weinberg/Srna Stosljevic (UCONN) def. Elena Kordolaimi/Despoina Vogasari (UH) 6-4
2. Tina Rupert/Rocio Martin (UH) def. Zaina Zaki/Emma Alderman (UCONN) 6-4
3. Angela Lorenzo/Mina Markovic (UH) def. Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva/Summer Walker (UCONN) 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (6,4,2)
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
| No. 29 HOUSTON COUGARS vs. No. 73 SMU MUSTANGS | |
|---|---|
| Date/Time | Friday, April 17 · 11 am CT |
| Location | Case Tennis Center · Tulsa, Okla. |
| Tournament Central | TheAmerican.org/Tennis |
| Series History | SMU leads, 22-10 |
| Social Media |   |
Friday's semifinal match between the Cougars and No. 73 SMU has been moved up an hour and is now scheduled for 11 am CT due to rain in the forecast. Fans can access live video links, scoring and the tournament bracket at The American's Tournament Central page.
Houston topped the Mustangs in their regular season finale, 4-0, on April 8 at the John E. Hoff Courts. Kordolaimi, Vogasari and Martin each won singles points, while Rupert, Markovic and Lorenzo each held leads when their matches were stopped in progress.
The tandem of Kordolaimi and Vogasari won a doubles match in the first meeting against SMU, and the team of Martin and Rupert scored the clinching pairs point.
SMU holds a 22-10 edge over Houston in 32 prior meetings, though the Cougars have won the last two battles. The Mustangs advanced to the semifinals with a 4-3 win over fifth-seeded Memphis on Thursday.
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Players Mentioned
