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No. 8 Women’s Tennis sweeps No. 26 Texas Tech, 4-0
04.04.2024 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns collected their sixth sweep in Big 12 play with a win over the Lady Raiders on Thursday.
Austin – No. 8 Texas Women's Tennis (16-4, 9-1) claimed a 4-0 victory over No. 26 Texas Tech (15-6, 8-2) on Thursday afternoon at the Texas Tennis Center. It marked the Longhorns' sixth sweep in Big 12 play.
After taking the doubles point with wins at Nos. 3 and 1, Texas received singles victories from senior Taisiya Pachkaleva at No. 4, sophomore Vivian Ovrootsky at No. 5, and graduate No. 34 Tanya Sasnouskaya at No. 3.
In doubles, freshman Shachf Lieberman and Pachkaleva were the first to finish with a 6-0 sweep of their own over Kate Dmitrichenko and Camryn Stepp at No. 3. Lieberman and Pachkaleva opened the match by taking back-to-back deuce points and finished with a deuce-point break.
Senior Malaika Rapolu and Sasnouskaya clinched the doubles point with a dominant 6-1 win over the sixth-ranked pair in the nation in Avelina Sayfetdinova and Metka Komac at No. 1. The Texas tandem began the match with a 5-0 run which saw a deuce-point hold and a deuce-point break. Sayfetdinova and Komac managed to hold for 5-1, but Rapolu and Sasnouskaya seved out the match in the following game.
Senior Charlotte Chavatipon and Ovrootsky's match against Cristina Tiglea and Mariya Polishchuk at No. 2 was left unfinished after the clinch. The match's first three games stayed on serve before Tiglea and Polishchuk broke for 3-1. Chavatipon and Ovrootsky broke back for 3-2, and the match was left unfinished with the Lady Raider duo leading 4-3.
In singles, Pachkaleva was the first off the court with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Dmitrichenko at No. 4. Pachkaleva earned a break, deuce-point hold, then another break for an early 3-0 advantage before Dmitrichenko responded by winning consecutive games decided by deuce points for 3-2. However, Pachkaleva extinguished Dmitrichenko's momentum by sweeping the rest of the match with a 9-0 run with only one of those even reaching a deuce point.
Ovrootsky was the next Longhorn to finish with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Komac on court 5. Komac held serve then earned a deuce-point break for 2-0, but Ovrootsky answered with a break which ignited a 6-0 run to win the set. At 4-2, Komac threatened to end Ovrootsky's streak, but the sophomore claimed a deuce-point break for 5-2. After the second set's first two games stayed on serve, Ovrootsky collected another deuce-point break for 2-1. The next two games were both broken before Ovrootsky held for a 4-2 lead. Komac held on a deuce point in the set's seventh game for 4-3, but Ovrootsky finished it with a hold followed by a break.
Sasnouskaya clinched the sweep for Texas with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Sayfetdinova on court 3. Sayfetdinova opened the match with a break then a hold for 2-0, but Sasnouskaya quickly responded with a 3-0 run. Sayfetdinova held serve in the sixth game for 3-3, but Sasnouskaya would win the set's remaining games and take a deuce-point hold for 6-3. The second set's first four games were all on serve, with Sasnouskaya earning a deuce-point hold for 1-1, before the graduate broke for 3-2 to begin a 4-0 run that would clinch the match. Sasnouskaya claimed consecutive games decided by deuce points for 5-2 and then the victory.
Rapolu, Chavatipon, and Lieberman's matches were all left unfinished once Sasnouskaya clinched. Rapolu trailed No. 39 Cristina Tiglea, 5-7, 0-2, at No. 1 in a match that began with each player earning deuce-point breaks. Rapolu broke then held for 3-1, but Tiglea held then claimed a deuce-point break for 3-3. The next four games were all broken, with Rapolu earning a deuce-point break for 5-4 for an opportunity to serve for the set, but Tiglea broke back for 5-5 to begin a 5-0 run to close out the first set and provide a 2-0 lead in the second set.
Chavatipon led a highly competitive match against Polishchuk, 6-4, 3-3, on court 2 before the contest was left unfinished. Chavatipon began with a deuce-point break, hold, then another break for 3-0 before Polishchuk took back-to-back games that came down to deuce-point decisions. The first set proceeded to stay on serve with Chavatipon collecting a deuce-point hold to win the set. The next two games were also decided by deuce points, with each player breaking for 1-1 in the second set. From there, the match stayed on serve with Chavatipon earning two deuce-point holds for 2-2 and 3-3. The unfinished match saw eight of its 16 games be decided by deuce points.
On court 6, Lieberman had a 6-3, 3-2 lead over Andreea Lila when play stopped. The match's first six games were all broken, with games four and five being deuce-point decisions, before Lieberman held serve for 4-3. Lieberman would go on to break then hold, finishing the first set with a 4-0 run. Lila earned a deuce-point hold to open the second set, but Lieberman answered with a 3-0 run for a 3-1 advantage. Lila held serve for 3-2 just before the match ended.
The Longhorns will be back at the Texas Tennis Center for the regular season home finale on Saturday, April 6, at 12 p.m. CT to take on No. 36 BYU.
#8 Texas 4, #26 Texas Tech 0
Singles – Order of Finish (4,5,3)
1. #27 Malaika Rapolu (UT) vs. #39 Cristina Tiglea (TTU) 5-7, 0-2, unf.
2. #117 Charlotte Chavatipon (UT) vs. Mariya Polishchuk (TTU) 6-4, 3-3, unf.
3. #34 Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) def. Avelina Sayfetdinova (TTU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Taisiya Pachkaleva (UT) def. Kate Dmitrichenko (TTU) 6-2, 6-0
5. Vivian Ovrootsky (UT) def. Metka Komac (TTU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Shachf Lieberman (UT) vs. Andreea Lila (TTU) 6-3, 3-2, unf.
Doubles – Order of Finish (3,1)
1. #64 Malaika Rapolu/Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) def. #6 Avelina Sayfetdinova/Metka Komac (TTU) 6-1
2. Charlotte Chavatipon/Vivian Ovrootsky (UT) vs. Cristina Tiglea/Mariya Polishchuk (TTU) 3-4, unf.
3. Shachf Lieberman/Taisiya Pachkaleva (UT) def. Kate Dmitrichenko/Camryn Stepp (TTU) 6-0
Players Mentioned
