The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Rebels Roast Razorbacks
4/14/2016 | Women's Tennis
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - With their backs against the wall as far as postseason play goes, the Ole Miss women's tennis team earned a solid road win Thursday, beating No. 29 Arkansas 4-2 at the Billingsley Tennis Center.
After Arkansas claimed the No. 1 doubles match, Zalina Khairudinova and Marija Milutinovic earned a 6-2 win at No. 3. All eyes then turned to court two with the match tied 5-5. Natalie Suk and Allie Sanford took the final two games for a 7-5 win to clinch the point and the 1-0 Rebel lead.
The Rebels maintained momentum by winning four first sets in singles. Arkansas briefly tied the match with a win on court three, but then Khairudinova finished off a dominating performance against Makenzie Craft 6-1, 6-1 on court four to give the Rebels a 2-1 lead. Suk put Ole Miss ahead 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Ana Oparenovic at No. 2 singles.
In a battle of top-30 ranked players, 22nd-ranked Arianne Hartono dropped her match to 27th-ranked Yuliya Lysa at No. 1 singles, but that it would be it for the Razorbacks on the day.
Milutinovic closed out Agne Cepelyte 6-2, 6-3 on court six for the final 4-2 score. Freshman Tea Jandric led Arkansas' Mia Jurasic 6-4, 3-2 on court five, but the match was abandoned once the Rebels clinched.
Notables…
• The Rebels are now 12-9 overall and 3-9 in the SEC.
• The Rebels have now won two straight against the Razorbacks.
• Marija Milutinovic clinched her second match of the season at No. 6 singles
• Zalina Khairudinova improved to 16-9 overall, 8-6 in dual matches.
• Freshman Tea Jandric returned to the lineup after missing the last three SEC matches.
• Khairudinova and Milutinovic improved to 7-3 at No. 3 doubles, 6-3 in the SEC.
• Natalie Suk and Allie Sanford won their fourth match in a row and clinched the doubles point.
Next up…
Ole Miss will close out the SEC regular season at Missouri on Saturday at 12 p.m. Fans can follow the match with live scoring and live video.
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also follow Coach Beyers on Twitter, @MarkBeyers.
Players Mentioned
