The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
No. 10 Women’s Tennis downs No. 9 Texas A&M at ITA Indoors
02.09.2024 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns defeated the Aggies, 4-2, to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth-straight year.
Seattle – No. 6 Texas Women's Tennis (5-1) topped No. 9 Texas A&M (4-4), 4-2, on Friday at the ITA Team National Indoor Championship in Seattle, Wash. in round of 16 action. The Longhorns clinched at 4-2 and earned their way into the quarterfinals for the fourth-straight year.
After taking the doubles point with wins at Nos. 3 and 1, the Longhorns earned singles victories from seniors Taisiya Pachkaleva at No. 5, No. 36 Malaika Rapolu at No. 3, and No. 120 Charlotte Chavatipon at No. 4 to clinch.
In doubles, the tandem of sophomore Vivian Ovrootsky and Chavatipon finished first by taking down Sydney Fitch and Gianna Pielet, 6-2 at No. 3. The duo broke all but one of A&M's serves and won consecutive deuce points to go up 3-1 and 4-1 as part of a 4-0 run. A&M managed to hold serve for 5-2, but Texas responded by doing the same in the ensuing game and took the match.
On court No. 1, Pachkaleva and junior Sabina Zeynalova claimed the doubles point for Texas by defeating No. 3 Mary Stoiana and Mia Kupres, 6-1. Texas opened the match by going on a 5-0 run before Texas A&M was finally able to break for 5-1 on a deuce point, but Texas broke right back on a deuce point of its own and took the 6-1 victory for the 1-0 overall lead.
Graduate Tanya Sasnouskaya and Rapolu's match at No. 2 against Nicole Khirin and Lucianna Perez was then left unfinished at 4-3. Both teams opened by holding serve on deuce points. Texas broke to go up 3-1 later in the match, but A&M responded by going on a 3-0 run when play stopped.
In singles, court No. 5 was the first to finish with Pachkaleva defeating Daria Smetannikov, 6-2, 6-3. After Smetannikov held on a deuce point to make it 1-1, Pachkaleva went on a 3-0 run to earn a 4-1 lead. Smetannikov was able to hold serve and make it 4-2, but Pachkaleva held and then broke on a big deuce point to close out the first set, 6-2. In the second, Pachkaleva held serve and broke for a 3-1 lead. However, Smetannikov broke Pachkaleva for the first and only time in the match and held serve on the ensuing game to make it 3-3. Pachkaleva responded by going on another 3-0 run to close out the match.
Just seconds later, Rapolu gave the Longhorns a 3-0 lead after she defeated No. 24 Kupres, 6-2, 6-2, on court No. 3. Rapolu started fast, breaking Kupres and holding serve to take an early 2-0 lead. From there, both players held serve until Rapolu broke again on a deuce point to make it 5-2 and then held in the following game to win the first set. In the second, Rapolu got off to a fast start once again, starting on a 3-0 run that included a deuce point victory in the last of those games. Kupres responded by breaking Rapolu with on a deuce point and holding serve to get herself back in the match. However, Rapolu went on a 3-0 run to finish the match.
After the Longhorns took a 3-0 lead, Texas A&M attempted to rally. The next match to finish was the court No. 2 where Khirin defeated Sasnouskaya, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, and gave Texas A&M their first point of the day. In the first set, both women held, including on a deuce point for Khirin in the opening game, until she later broke on another deuce point for a 4-2 lead. However, Sasnouskaya responded by going on a 4-0 run to take the first set with the last two of those coming at deuce. In the second, Khirin gained momentum by holding her first two service games and breaking Sasnouskaya on a deuce point for a 3-1 lead. Sasnouskaya responded with a break of her own to make it 3-2, but Khirin went on a 3-0 run to close out the second set and force a third. In the final set, both women broke each other to open, 1-1, but Khirin went on a 4-0 run that was punctuated by a deuce-point victory to up her lead to 5-1. Sasnouskaya won a deuce-break point in the ensuing game and pushed the score to 5-2, but Khirin broke immediately after to take the final set and win 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
On court No. 1, Zeynalova got off to a quick start against No. 1 Stoiana, winning a deuce point to go up 2-0 before breaking and pushing her lead to 3-0. However, Stoiana found her groove and went on a 5-0 run that included two deuce point victories that made it 4-3 and 5-3. Zeynalova managed to break to get back within 5-4, but Stoiana broke in the next game to take the first set, 6-4. The second set followed the same pattern as Zeynalova held serve twice and broke twice to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Stoiana battled back, winning two deuce points as part of her own 4-0 run to tie the second set, 4-4. Zeynalova broke on a deuce point to regain the lead at 5-4 and serve for the set, but it was short-lived. Stoiana went on a 3-0 run and won the second set, 7-5, to cut Texas' overall lead 3-2.
With the score at 3-2 for Texas, there were only two matches still in progress, one of which was between Chavatipon and Perez on court No. 4. In the first set, Chavatipon broke, held and broke again to open up with a 3-0 lead, but Perez broke and then held on consecutive deuce points to pull within 3-2. After that, both women held serve for the remainder of the first set, including a deuce-point hold by Chavatipon to make it 5-3 before she won the first set, 6-4. In the second set, it was Perez who got out to a quick start, breaking and then holding on a deuce point to go up 3-1 after both women held their first service games. Chavtipon held on deuce point for 3-2, but it wouldn't be enough. Both women held serve the rest of the way until Perez broke to win, 6-3. In the third and final set, Chavatipon once again got out to a 3-0 lead after a break, hold and break. However, Perez broke and held on consecutive deuce points to make it 3-2. Following that sequence, both women took turns holding serve, including a big deuce-point hold that gave Chavatipon a 5-3 lead. Chavatipon then won the third set, 6-4, and clinched the team victory for Texas.
The only match to not finish play was on court No. 6 between Ovrootsky and Jeanette Mireles, which stopped at 3-6, 7-6 (4), 2-1. Ovrootsky broke to open up with a 1-0 lead, but Mireles answered by going on a 5-0 run that included three deuce point wins to make it 1-1, 2-1 and 5-1. Ovrootsky managed to break and hold to make it 5-3, but Mireles took the first set, 6-3. Ovrootsky battled back in the second set and forced a tiebreaker at 6-6. After going down 1-0 in the second-set breaker, Ovrootsky went on a 3-0 run to earn a 3-1 edge and never went down in the tiebreaker again. Mireles battled back to briefly tie it at 4-4, but Ovrootsky answered with another 3-0 run to win the tiebreaker and the second set 7-6 (4). Ovrootsky looked to have momentum in the third set, but play was stopped with the score at 2-1 in favor of Ovrootsky.
The Longhorns will next take on No. 3 Oklahoma State in the ITA National Indoor Championships Quarterfinals on Feb. 10 at 6:30 PT/8:30 CT.
#10 Texas 4, #9 Texas A&M 2
Singles – Order of Finish (5,3,2,1,4)
1. #1 Mary Stoiana (TAMU) def. Sabina Zeynalova (TEXAS) 6-4, 7-5
2. #32 Nicole Khirin (TAMU) def. #29 Tanya Sasnouskaya (TEXAS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
3. #36 Malaika Rapolu (TEXAS) def. #24 Mia Kupres (TAMU) 6-2, 6-2
4. #120 Charlotte Chavatipon (TEXAS) def. Lucciana Perez (TAMU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
5. Taisiya Pachkaleva (TEXAS) def. Daria Smetannikov (TAMU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) vs. Jeanette Mireles (TAMU) 3-6, 7-6 (4), 2-1, unfinished
Doubles – Order of Finish (3,1)
1. #37 Taisiya Pachkaleva/Sabina Zeynalova (TEXAS) def. #3 Mary Stoiana/Mia Kupres (TAMU) 6-1
2. Tanya Sasnouskaya/Malaika Rapolu (TEXAS) vs. Nicole Khirin/Lucciana Perez (TAMU) 3-4, unf.
3. Charlotte Chavatipon/Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) def. Sydney Fitch/Gianna Pielet (TAMU) 6-2
Players Mentioned
