The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Tulane
No. 1 Women’s Tennis sweeps Tulane, 5-0
01.22.2023 | Women's Tennis
Chavatipon and Zeynalova earn victories in both doubles and singles play on Sunday.
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 1 University of Texas Women's Tennis team (3-0) earned a 5-0 sweep over Tulane (0-2) on Sunday afternoon at the Texas Tennis Center. Junior Charlotte Chavatipon and sophomore Sabina Zeynalova each posted individual wins in both singles and doubles action on Sunday.
Texas won the doubles point to grab a 1-0 advantage. The tandem of Chavatipon and Zeynalova claimed a 6-1 victory on court 1 over Lahari Yelamanchili and Charlotte Russell. Leading 2-1, Chavatipon and Zeynalova captured the next four games to close out the match. The duo of sophomore Grace Thomas and junior Malaika Rapolu clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win on court 3 against Mackenzie Clark and Jiayun Zhu. Trailing 3-2, Thomas and Rapolu rattled off four straight games to finish out their victory.
In singles action, Zeynalova earned a 6-1, 6-2 win on court 3 against Russell. Tied at 1-1 in the opening set, Zeynalova claimed 11 of the next 13 games to close out her victory. Chavatipon followed with a 6-1, 6-3 victory on court 1 over Yelamanchili. After a dominant first-set win, Chavatipon faced a 3-1 deficit in the second set before rallying to win five-straight games and finish off her victory.
Freshman Nicole Rivkin clinched the dual-match victory with a 6-0, 6-3 win on court 5 over Kristen Borland. Tied at 2-2 in the second set, Rivkin won four of the next five games to close out her victory. Immediately following Rivkin's win, junior Taisiya Pachkaleva finished off a 6-2, 6-2 victory on court 4 against Zhu. Pachkaleva raced out to a 4-0 lead in her opening set en route to the 6-2 first-set win. Leading 3-2 in the second set, she won three-straight games to close out her victory.
The remaining singles matches featuring junior No. 85 Malaika Rapolu (court 2) and Thomas (court 6) were halted after Pachkaleva's victory. Rapolu held a 6-3, 5-3 advantage in her match against Adelaide Lavery when played was stopped.
Texas returns to action when it serves as a regional host site for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend on Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Texas Tennis Center. The Longhorns will face Fresno State at 11 a.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 27. Texas will then meet either Baylor or Loyola Marymount at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 28.
#1 Texas 5, Tulane 0
Singles – Order of finish (3, 1, 5, 4)
- Charlotte Chavatipon (UT) def. Lahari Yelamanchili (TU), 6-1, 6-3
- #85 Malaika Rapolu (UT) vs. Adelaide Lavery (TU), 6-3, 5-3, unfinished
- Sabina Zeynalova (UT) def. Charlotte Russell (TU), 6-1, 6-2
- Taisiya Pachkaleva (UT) def. Jiayun Zhu (TU), 6-2, 6-2
- Nicole Rivkin (UT) def. Kristen Borland (TU), 6-0, 6-3
- Grace Thomas (UT) vs. Brooke Theis (TU), 6-4, 1-3, unfinished
Doubles – Order of finish (1, 3)
- Charlotte Chavatipon/Sabina Zeynalova (UT) def. Lahari Yelamanchili/Charlotte Russell (TU), 6-1
- Nicole Rivkin/Taisiya Pachkaleva (UT) vs. Adelaide Lavery/Kristen Borland (TU), 4-5, unfinished
- Grace Thomas/Malaika Rapolu (UT) def. Mackenzie Clark/Jiayun Zhu (TU), 6-3
Players Mentioned
