The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
South Alabama
Women's Tennis Falls To South Alabama 4-3
2/12/2005 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 12, 2005
MOBILE, Ala. - The Ole Miss women's tennis team lost the doubles point and that proved to be the difference in a tough 4-3 loss to 48th-ranked South Alabama on the road Saturday at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Courts. With the loss, the Lady Rebels fall to 3-2 overall, while South Alabama improves to 5-0.
In their first match outdoors in 2005, the Lady Rebels seemed to be getting off to a good start in doubles. South Alabama won at No. 2 doubles 8-6, but it appeared that Ole Miss would the get point with senior Chloe Carlotti and junior Virginia Tomatis serving at 7-6 and 40-15. The USA duo fought back and won 9-8 to clinch the point. Ole Miss led the third spot 7-4 before seeing the Jaguars come back to win 9-7.
In singles, Ole Miss took three of the positions and South Alabama claimed the other three. South Alabama quickly went up 2-0 when Lady Rebel Tomatis suffered her first dual match loss of the season, 6-2, 6-0 to Ana Rupic at the No. 3 position.
It didn't take long for the Lady Rebels to even the score at 2-2 with straight set wins at the top two spots. Carlotti, ranked No. 32 in the nation, dominated Jaguar Andrea Kurekova 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1, and Ilona Somers downed Maria Zivcicova (USA) 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.
Ole Miss dropped straight set matches at Nos. 5 and 6 singles as South Alabama got the four points needed for the win. Dijana Stanic defeated Preethi Subramanian (Ole Miss) 6-0, 6-2 while Dominika Nemcovicova defeated Lady Rebel Mimi Renaudin 6-2, 6-4. The Lady Rebels claimed the No. 4 position when Nika Koukhartchouk took out Katarina Palenikova (USA) 6-7,7-5,(10-2).
"This is a disappointing loss," head coach Mark Beyers said. "It came down to the doubles point. We had the doubles won and let it slip away. We have to do a better job of closing out matches when the opportunity is there. When you don't do that, it comes back to haunt you as it did today. This was our first outdoor match, and we've got work to do to improve."
Ole Miss returns to the courts Wednesday as they host Murray State at 2 p.m. The match will be played outside at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, weather permitting.
#48 South Alabama 4
#56 Ole Miss 3
DOUBLES
#1 Palenikova/Zivcicova (USA) def. Carlotti/Tomatis (OM) 9-8
#2 Kurekova/Jarova (USA) def. Renaudin/Somers (OM) 8-6
#3 Stanic/Nemcovicova (USA) def. Cochran/Koukhartchouk (OM) 9-7
SINGLES
#1 Chloe Carlotti (OM) def. Andrea Kurekova (USA) 6-0,6-3
#2 Ilona Somers (OM) def. Maria Zivcicova (USA) 6-0,6-2
#3 Ana Rupic (USA) def. Virginia Tomatis (OM) 6-2,6-0
#4 Nika Koukhartchouk (OM) def. Katarina Palenikova (USA) 6-7,7-5,(10-2)
#5 Dominika Nemcovicova (USA) def. Mimi Renaudin (OM) 6-2,6-4
#6 Dijana Stanic (USA) def. Preethi Subramanian (OM) 6-0,6-2
