The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Tech (Big 12 Championships final)
No. 6 Women's Tennis knocks off No. 14 Texas Tech, wins Big 12 tournament title
04.29.2018 | Women's Tennis
Longhorns claim 10th Big 12 tournament title, their first since 2013.
AUSTIN, Texas – Top-seeded Texas (22-4) claimed the doubles point and posted three singles wins on their way to a 4-1 victory over third-seeded Texas Tech Sunday in the finals of the Big 12 Championships.
The Longhorns sweep the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2002, and UT claims its first league tourney since 2013. Sophomores Petra Granic and Anna Turati shared the honor of Most Outstanding Player at the Big 12 Championships, as Texas won its 17th straight match.
Texas asserted itself in doubles, put early pressure on the Lady Raiders and wasted little time in claiming the doubles point. Twin sophomores Anna and Bianca Turati shut out Tech's Alex Valenstein and Katelyn Jackson at third doubles and put away a 6-0 victory.
Senior Dani Wagland and freshman Marta Perez-Mur took control midway through their match against Tech's Felicity Maltby and Gabriela Talaba en route to a 6-2 win at second doubles. The match at first doubles was suspended.
Tech evened the tally at one behind Sarah Dvorak's straight-sets win Perez-Mur at fifth singles. The Lady Raiders, however, would not get any closer. Granic extended her winning streak to 15 matches and put the Horns on top at 2-1 with her 7-5, 6-2 victory over the 56th-ranked Maltby at third singles. The top-ranked Bianca Turati staked Texas to a 3-1 cushion with her 6-4, 6-3 triumph over the 21st-ranked Talaba at second singles.
Tech's Valenstein saved multiple match points at second singles, but Anna Turati converted one in the end and won 6-2, 6-4 to give Texas its fourth and championship-clinching point. The remaining matches were suspended.
Texas likely will earn hosting duties for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Championships on May 11 and 12. The Longhorns learn their first-round opponent when the tournament field is revealed on Tuesday, May 1. Pairings will be announced at NCAA.com at 4 p.m. CT.
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas head coach Howard Joffe
There's just an overwhelming sense of satisfaction with winning the conference and at another level with winning the conference tournament. The idea that Texas' tennis program can help put the 'T' back in Texas – it does feel like a great accomplishment. With respect to the season, it's a long and onerous thing. There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears, to use a cliché. Back in February we took it on the chin in four out of five matches. This is a very young team. They were resilient. They kept working and 15 or 16 matches later they're the champions of the Big 12 Conference. I couldn't be more proud of them.
2018 Big 12 Championships – Women's Final
No. 1 seed Texas 4, No. 3 seed Texas Tech 1
Doubles – Order of Finish: 3, 2
1 No. 47 Petra Granic/Bojana Markovic (UT) vs. No. 21 Sabrina Federici/Sarah Dvorak (TT), 3-2, susp.
2 Marta Perez-Mur/Dani Wagland (UT) def. Felicity Maltby/Gabriela Talaba (TT), 6-2
3 Anna Turati/Bianca Turati (UT) def. Alex Valenstein/Katelyn Jackson (TT), 6-0
Singles – Order of Finish: 5, 3, 1, 2
1 No. 1 Bianca Turati (UT) def. No. 21 Gabriela Talaba (TT), 6-4, 6-3
2 No. 29 Anna Turati (UT) def. Alex Valenstein (TT), 6-2, 6-4
3 No. 72 Petra Granic (UT) def. No. 56 Felicity Maltby (TT), 7-5, 6-2
4 Bojana Markovic (UT) vs. No. 97 Sabrina Federici (TT), 6-7 (8), 2-1, susp.
5 No. 125 Sarah Dvorak (TT) def. Marta Perez-Mur (UT), 6-4, 6-1
6 Dani Wagland (UT) vs. No. 115 Katelyn Jackson (TT), 3-6, 7-5, susp.
Players Mentioned
