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Oklahoma State
No. 12 Women’s Tennis edged, 4-3, by No. 34 Oklahoma State
03.12.2023 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns dropped their first Big 12 Conference match and are now 10-3 overall and 1-1 in league play.
AUSTIN, Texas — No. 12 University of Texas Women's Tennis was edged, 4-3, by No. 34 Oklahoma State (9-4, 2-0 Big 12) in the second Big 12 Conference match for each team on Sunday afternoon at the Texas Tennis Center. The Longhorns won three singles matches, but dropped the doubles point in a tiebreaker and three other singles contests to move to 10-3 on the season and 1-1 in league play.
After the Cowgirls claimed doubles, freshman Nicole Khirin evened the overall match with an efficient 6-0, 6-2 victory over Kristina Novak at No. 1. Khirin won the first eight games of the match with only two deuce points in that span at 2-0 in the first set and 1-0 in the second. Novak claimed two games on serve in the second set at 2-1 and 5-2 before Khirin closed out the match with a deuce-point hold.
Sophomore No. 101 Sabina Zeynalova then provided Texas with its first lead with a ranked win over No. 109 Alana Wolfberg, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 3. Five of the first six games were breaks as Zeynalova claimed the opening game on one, and Wolfberg broke back in the next. Zeynaloav then went on a 3-0 run that included two more breaks and a deuce-point hold for a 4-1 lead before Wolfberg secured another break and her own deuce-point hold to trail, 4-3. However, the final two games of the first set and the first two of the second belonged Zeynalova, including two more deuce-point breaks to take the first set and establish a 2-0 lead in the second. Wolfberg got the break back in the next game of the second for 2-1, but Zeynalova captured the following two games to extend to 4-1. Wolfberg pulled within 4-2 on a deuce-point hold, but Zeynalova closed it from there with a hold and deuce-point break for the match.
Oklahoma State momentarily tied the overall match again at 2-2 as junior Malaika Rapolu was defeated by Sofia Rojas, 7-5, 6-3, at No. 5. Rapolu collected a break in the opening game, and although Rojas broke back, Rapolu broke again and held to take a 3-1 lead. However, Rojas responded with a 4-0 run that she capped with back-to-back deuce points for a hold and a break and a 5-3 lead. Rapolu fought back for the next two games to even it, but Rojas claimed the last two for the set. In the second, Rapolu once again began with a break and had an opportunity to increase her lead on serve, but Rojas broke back on a deuce point and then held for a 2-1 advantage. The next two games were also on serve, including a deuce point for Rojas, who then broke for a 4-2 lead. Rapolu answered the break for 4-3, but her following serve went to deuce, which Rojas won and before serving out the match.
Moments later, junior No. 58 Charlotte Chavatipon put the Longhorns back on top with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Lucia Peyre at No. 2. For the first eight games, the players alternated 2-0 runs starting with Peyre who broke on a deuce point for a 2-0 lead. After Chavatipon squared it, Peyre used another deuce-point break for a 4-2 lead. However, Chavatipon extended her following run to 5-0, including a deuce-point break for a 5-4 lead, before serving out the set and posting a 1-0 lead in the second with another break. Peyre then broke back to put the frame back on serve where it stayed until Chavatipon secured the next break for a 6-5 lead on the way to the 7-5 win.
In the final two singles matches, Oklahoma State had won the first set in each, and although Texas responded with tightly-contested second sets, the Cowgirls came away with both for the 4-3 win.
The first to finish was at No. 4, a 6-2, 7-6 (6) win by Ayumi Miyamoto over junior Taisiya Pachkaleva. Pachkaleva held and broke for a 2-0 lead, and the third game went to a deuce point on Pachkaleva's serve, but Miyamoto claimed that to begin a 6-0 run for the set, including another deuce-point break at 5-2. In the second set, despite two deuce points with one going to each player, the first five games stayed on serve until Pachkaleva broke at 4-2 and held on another deuce point for 5-2. However, Miyamoto went on another extended run, this time 4-0, to take a 6-5 lead. Pachkaleva then needed to break to stay in the match, which she did to force a tiebreaker. In the breaker, Pachkaleva won the first point, but Miyamoto took the next two for a 2-1 lead. Pachkaleva then grabbed the next four to take a 5-2 advantage, but Miyamoto won six of the next seven with a pair of 3-0 runs to win the match and even the overall contest at 3-3.
That left it to No. 6, where freshman Nicole Rivkin battled back in her second set, but came up short, 6-3, 7-5, to Raquel Gonzalez. All four deuce points in the first set went to Gonzalez including an opening game hold, a break for 3-1 and another hold for 4-1. Rivkin held her next two serves, but the fourth deuce point put Gonzalez up 5-2 on a hold before she held again for the set at 6-3. The trend continued in the second set as Gonzalez claimed two more consecutive deuce points for a hold and a break at 2-2 and 3-2. That would be the first of seven-straight breaks leaving Gonzalez up 6-5. Only one of those going to deuce, which was also the first deuce win for Rivkin and came at 4-4. Gonzalez then finally snapped the string with a hold to take both her win and overall contest for Oklahoma State.
Earlier in doubles, Texas came up just short in the point, falling in a tiebreaker in the deciding match at No. 3.
Khirin and graduate Marlee Zein opened doubles with an efficient 6-1 win over Wolfberg and Rojas at No. 2. The Longhorns opened and closed the match with 3-0 runs, including a deuce-point break that provided a 5-1 lead before serving it out for the win.
Oklahoma State then evened the doubles point with a 6-2 win by the No. 31 duo of Gonzalez and Miyamoto over the No. 27 pair of Chavatipon and Zeynalova at No. 1. The Cowgirls began the match with a deuce-point break and then held for a 2-0 lead. They broke again for 4-1 and used another deuce-point win to hold and extend to 5-1. The Longhorns got one game back on serve, but OSU closed on serve for the win.
That left it to No. 3 where Pachkaleva and Rivkin were edged in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (5), by Peyre and Martina Zerulo. Oklahoma State picked up an opening break, but Texas answered by breaking each of the Cowgirls' next two serves on deuce points for a 3-1 lead. Peyre and Zerulo responded with a deuce-point break of their own to put the match back on serve, where it stayed until they broke again for a 6-5 lead. Pachkaleva and Rivkin then broke back to stay alive and head to a tiebreaker where they opened on serve for a 1-0 lead. OSU won the next three points to move ahead, 3-1, but Texas took four of the next five for a 5-4 lead. However, the Cowgirls finished with another 3-0 run to take the match and win the point.
Texas will head out on the road to Kansas for its next two matches, first facing Kansas State on Friday, March 17, followed by Kansas on Sunday, March 19.
#34 Oklahoma State 4, #12 Texas 3
Singles – Order of finish (1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 6)
1. Nicole Khirin (UT) def. Kristina Novak (OSU), 6-0, 6-2
2. #58 Charlotte Chavatipon (UT) def. Lucia Peyre (OSU), 6-4, 7-5
3. #101 Sabina Zeynalova (UT) def. #109 Alana Wolfberg (OSU), 6-3, 6-2
4 Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) def. Taisiya Pachkaleva (UT), 6-2, 7-6 (6)
5. Sofia Rojas (OSU) def. Malaika Rapolu (UT), 7-5, 6-3
6. Raquel Gonzalez (OSU) def. Nicole Rivkin (UT), 6-3, 7-5
Doubles – Order of finish (2, 1, 3)
1. #31 Raquel Gonzalez/Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) def. #27 Charlotte Chavatipon/Sabina Zeynalova (UT), 6-2
2. Nicole Khirin/Marlee Zein (UT) def. Alana Wolfberg/Sofia Rojas (OSU), 6-1
3. Martina Zerulo/Lucia Peyre (OSU) def. Taisiya Pachkaleva/Nicole Rivkin (UT), 7-6 (5)
Players Mentioned
