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No. 7 Women’s Tennis falls to No. 1 Oklahoma State in Big 12 Final
04.20.2024 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns were downed by the Cowgirls, 4-0, in the Big 12 Championship title match on Saturday night.
Stillwater, Okla. – No. 7 Texas Women's Tennis (21-5, 12-1) fell to No. 1 Oklahoma State (27-0, 13-0), 4-0, in the Big 12 Championship Final in Stillwater on Saturday evening.
It was the sixth-straight time the Longhorns had reached the championship match, having won four of the previous five, including the last three.
In doubles, senior Charlotte Chavatipon and sophomore Vivian Ovrootsky were downed by Raquel Gonzalez and Ayumi Miyamoto, 6-2, on court 2. Gonzalez and Miyamoto earned the match's first break on a deuce point for 3-1. From there, the next three games stayed on serve before Gonzalez and Miyamoto broke for 6-2.
The Cowgirls clinched the doubles point on court 3 where senior Taisiya Pachkaleva and freshman Shachf Lieberman were defeated by Safiya Carrington and Kristina Novak, 6-3. The Texas duo took the match's first two games before Carrington and Novak answered with a 5-0 run for 5-2. Pachkaleva and Lieberman held for 5-3, but Carrington and Novak did the same for the 1-0 OSU advantage.
The top-40 match between the No. 36 pair of senior Malaika Rapolu and graduate Tanya Sasnouskaya verus No. 5 Ange Oby Kajuru and Anastasiya Komar on court 1 was left unfinished with Oklahoma State leading, 4-3. The first three games stayed on serve, with the third being a Kajura and Komar deuce-point hold, before the Cowgirls broke for 3-1. Rapolu and Sasnouskaya responded with a deuce-point break and a deuce-point hold to even the match, 3-3. Kajura and Komar held for 4-3, and from there the match was left undecided sitting at deuce point in the eighth game.
In singles, Oklahoma State took a 2-0 lead when Lieberman fell to Novak, 6-1, 6-2, on court 6. Lieberman broke for 1-1 to open the first set, but Novak would go on to take the match's next 10 games. At 5-0, Lieberman collected consecutive deuce-point wins despite Novak having multiple match point chances. At 5-2, Novak broke for the first singles win of the contest.
The next Longhorn to finish was No. 122 Chavatipon, who dropped her match to No. 2 Kajuru, 7-5, 6-1, on court 2. After the first five games stayed on serve, including two deuce-point decisions, Kajuru broke ahead for 4-2. The next two games were then held before Kajuru broke for 5-4. The 10th and 11th games were held for 6-5 before Kajuru broke on a deuce point to win the first set. Kajuru's deuce-point break spurred a 5-0 run, which provided her a 4-0 lead in the second set. Chavatipon then broke for 4-1, but Kajuru broke back then held on a deuce point to take the match.
Oklahoma State clinched the match on court 3 where No. 37 Sasnouskaya was topped by No. 55 Lucia Peyre, 6-2, 6-2. At 2-2 in the first set, Peyre broke ahead for 3-2 then collected back-to-back deuce points for 5-2. Peyre served out the first set, then broke the second set's opening game. Sasnouskaya broke back for 1-1, but Peyre broke then held for 3-1. The Texas graduate held the following game for 3-2, but Peyre closed out the match with a 3-0 run.
Three Longhorns were still competing in their singles matches when play was left unfinished. No. 22 Rapolu was a game away from taking the second set in her match against No. 15 Komar on court 1 with the score left at 3-6, 5-2. After losing in the first set, Rapolu won three of the second set's four games that were decided on deuce points. At 2-2, Rapolu went on a 3-0 run, which saw her claim consecutive deuce points before play ended.
On court 4, No. 120 Pachkaleva was tied with No. 62 Carrington, 6-2, 2-6, when the match concluded. Pachkaleva took three of the first set's four games that were deuce-point decisions. At 1-1, the senior broke on a deuce point to begin a 4-0 run. At 5-1 Carrington broke on a set point for Pachkaleva for 5-2, but Pachkaleva broke back for the win. The second set was even at two games apiece before Carrington earned a deuce point hold for 3-2, part of what would become a 5-0 run to clinch the set. The third set failed to complete a game when OSU won the match.
Ovrootsky's match against No. 93 Miyamoto was also tied without a game being played in the third set. The court 5 scoreboard read, 3-6, 6-4, with the Texas sophomore having just won her second set when play was halted. Trailing, 4-2, in the first set, Ovrootsky collected a deuce-point break for 4-3, but Miyamoto broke back then held on a deuce point to win the set. The second set's first nine games stayed on serve, with Ovrootsky holding on a deuce point for 4-3, before the Longhorn earned the set's only break at 5-4 to secure the set.
The Longhorns now await the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday, April 29, at 5:30 p.m. CT on NCAA.com, as they will likely host First and Second Round matches at the Texas Tennis Center that week.
#1 Oklahoma St. 4, #7 Texas 0
Singles – Order of Finish (6,2,3)
1. #15 Anastasiya Komar (OSU) vs. #22 Malaika Rapolu (UT) 6-3, 2-5, unf.
2. #2 Ange Oby Kajuru (OSU) def. #122 Charlotte Chavatipon (UT) 7-5, 6-1
3. #55 Lucia Peyre (OSU) def. #37 Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) 6-2, 6-2
4. #62 Safiya Carrington (OSU) vs. #120 Taisiya Pachkaleva (UT) 2-6, 6-2, unf.
5. #93 Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) vs. Vivian Ovrootsky (UT) 6-3, 4-6, unf.
6. Kristina Novak (OSU) def. Shachf Lieberman (UT) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles – Order of Finish (2,3)
1. #5 Ange Oby Kajuru/Anastasiya Komar (OSU) vs. #36 Malaika Rapolu/Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) 4-3, unf.
2. Raquel Gonzalez/Ayumi Miyamoto (OSU) def. Charlotte Chavatipon/Vivian Ovrootsky (UT) 6-2
3. Safiya Carrington/Kristina Novak (OSU) def. Taisiya Pachkaleva/Shachf Lieberman (UT) 6-3
Players Mentioned
