The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas State
No. 2 Women’s Tennis defeats Texas State, 7-0
03.30.2021 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns win their 10th consecutive dual match to improve to 17-1 on the season.
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 2 University of Texas women's tennis team claimed a 7-0 victory against Texas State (5-8) in a non-conference match on Tuesday afternoon at the Texas Tennis Center. With the victory, the Longhorns won their 10th consecutive dual match and improved to 17-1 on the year.
The Longhorns have now recorded 12 sweeps in their first 17 wins this year. UT improved to 82-11 (.882) in dual-match singles play and 36-6 (.857) in dual-match doubles competition this season.
Texas grabbed a 1-0 advantage by claiming the doubles point for the 17th time in its first 18 dual matches. Playing together for the first time in a collegiate dual match, the duo of sophomore Gabby Cusano and freshman Simran Kortikere broke a 2-2 tie and won the next four games to close out a 6-2 victory on court 3 against Sofia Murcia-Rodriguez and Renata Gonzalez.
Senior Marta Perez Mur and freshman Lulu Sun, also paired for the first time in doubles, snapped a 2-2 tie and won four of the next five games to clinch the doubles point with a 6-3 victory on court 2 over Nikita Pradeep and Chacadyah Israel-Lewis.
Senior Fernanda Labraña registered a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win on court 4 against Chacadyah Israel-Lewis to improve to 16-2 overall in singles, including a 9-1 mark in dual-match play. No. 72 Sun followed with a 6-3, 6-1 victory on court 2 over Rishona Israel-Lewis. Tied at 3-3 in the opening set, Sun won six straight and nine of the next 10 games to move to 12-2 in dual-match singles play this year.
Perez Mur clinched the overall dual-match victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win on court 5 against Murcia-Rodriguez. Perez Mur overcame a 2-1 deficit in the opening set to capture 11 of the next 14 games and improve to 9-2 overall in singles, including a 3-0 mark in dual-match action.
Senior No. 18 Anna Turati followed with a 6-2, 6-4 victory on court 1 over Hana Kvapilova. Trailing 3-2 in the second set, Turati won four of the next five games to move to 14-2 in dual-match singles play this season.
The remaining two singles matches both progressed to third-set super breakers. Freshman Malaika Rapolu earned a 6-3, 1-6, 1-0 (10-5) win on court 3 against Pradeep. In her third-set super breaker, Rapolu trailed 3-2 before running off six straight points to gain an 8-3 advantage. After Pradeep won back-to-back points, Rapolu responded by taking the next two points to close out her victory. Rapolu moved to 17-2 overall in singles, including a 10-1 mark in dual-match play.
Senior Tijana Spasojevic made her first appearance of the 2021 season and closed out Tuesday's action with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3) victory on court 6 over Gonzalez. In her third-set super breaker, Spasojevic built leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 5-2. After Gonzalez trimmed the margin to 5-3, Spasojevic won five straight points to finish off her win.
UT returns to action when it hosts Houston in a non-conference matchup on Friday, April 2. First serve is set for 3 p.m. Central at the Texas Tennis Center, and the match will be televised live nationally by Longhorn Network.
#2 Texas 7, Texas State 0
Singles – Order of finish (4, 2, 5, 1, 3, 6)
- #18 Anna Turati (UT) def. Hana Kvapilova (TXST), 6-2, 6-4
- #72 Lulu Sun (UT) def. Rishona Israel-Lewis (TXST), 6-3, 6-1
- Malaika Rapolu (UT) def. Nikita Pradeep (TXST), 6-3, 1-6, 1-0 (10-5)
- Fernanda Labraña (UT) def. Chacadyah Israel-Lewis (TXST), 6-0, 6-0
- Marta Perez Mur (UT) vs. Sofia Murcia-Rodriguez (TXST), 6-3, 6-2
- Tijana Spasojevic (UT) vs. Renata Gonzalez (TXST), 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3)
Doubles – Order of finish (3, 2)
- #71 Fernanda Labraña/Anna Turati (UT) vs. Hana Kvapilova/Rishona Israel-Lewis (TXST), 5-4, unfinished
- Marta Perez Mur/Lulu Sun (UT) def. Nikita Pradeep/Chacadyah Israel-Lewis (TXST), 6-3
- Simran Kortikere/Gabby Cusano (UT) def. Sofia Murcia-Rodriguez/Renata Gonzalez (TXST), 6-2
Players Mentioned
