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No. 15 Women’s Tennis downed at No. 7 Tennessee, 4-2
03.28.2025 | Women's Tennis
The Longhorns were close in third sets of the last two singles matches, but ultimately came up short on the road.
Knoxville, Tenn. – No. 15 Texas Women's Tennis was downed at No. 7 Tennessee, 4-2, on Friday at the Barksdale Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Longhorns opened the match by claiming the doubles point in a tiebreaker of the deciding match at No. 3 after having also won at No. 1. Tennessee evened the match with a win at No. 4 singles, but junior Vivian Ovrootsky regained the lead with a victory at No. 5. The Volunteers claimed the next three singles matches at Nos. 3, 1 and 6, however No. 6 and the unfinished match at No. 4 both went to third sets with Texas having won decisive first sets in those.
In doubles, Tennessee was first off the court as freshmen Salma Drugdova and Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz fell to the No. 44 pair of Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso, 6-1, at No. 2. The Volunteers jumped out to a 5-0 lead that included a deuce-point break for 4-0, and although the Longhorns held at deuce two games later to keep the match alive, 5-1, Tennessee served it out in the next game.
The No. 27 duo of freshman Ashton Bowers and Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo then evened doubles with a 6-3 win over Elza Tomase and Maeve Thornton at No. 1. After holding at deuce for 2-2, the Longhorns broke first for a 3-2 lead and consolidated for 4-2. The next two games were then held until Texas broke again for the 6-3 win.
That turned the attention to No. 3 where Ovrootsky and freshman Carmen Herea clinched the point in a tiebreaker with a 7-6 (1) win over Conley Raidt and Saray Yli-Piipari. After the Volunteers held and broke for a 2-0 lead, the Longhorns broke back and held for 2-2. Tennessee again broke on a deuce point for 4-2, but once again, Texas answered the break. Ovrootsky and Herea then held on a deuce point and broke for a 5-4 lead themselves. The Longhorns had match point in the next game, but the Volunteers broke at deuce to stay in it, and the last two games completed a stretch of four-straight breaks that resulted in the tiebreaker. Texas controlled that frame from the outset, jetting out to a 6-0 lead before winning, 7-1.
Tennessee evened the overall match by taking the first singles contest as No. 71 Anazagasty-Pursoo fell to Vanesa Suarez, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 4. In the first set, Suarez opened on serve and the first four games were all breaks, the last two of which were at deuce. Suarez was finally the first to hold, and the next five games were on serve for a 5-4 lead for her. Anazagasty-Pursoo's last three service games of the set all went to deuce, and while she held the first two, Suarez broke on the last one to win. In the second, Suarez moved out to a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game, and although Anazagasty-Pursoo held her next serves for 3-1 and 4-2 deficits, Suarez again broke in the last game of the set for the win.
A short time later, Ovrootsky regained the lead for Texas with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Raidt. The first four games of the match were all breaks, including one at deuce for Raidt for a 2-1 lead. Ovrootsky was then the first to hold for a 3-2 lead, and also the next to break, which she did for 5-3. The final two games were also breaks, giving her the 6-4 win. In the second set, after Ovrootsky held at deuce for a 2-1 lead, she broke first for 3-1. The next two games were also breaks before she held for 5-2 and then broke one last time on a deuce point for the win.
The Volunteers won the next three singles matches with the last of those going to three sets, however prior to that, freshman No. 54 Eszter Meri was defeated by No. 92 Britez Risso, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 3. Meri broke in the opening game on a deuce point, and after Britez Risso broke back, the next two games were on serve for 2-2. However, Britez Risso went on a 4-0 run for the set, including a deuce point break for 5-2. Meri again broke to begin the second set, and although this time she consolidated for 2-0, Britez Risso closed on a 6-0 run for the match, which included deuce-point wins in the last two games.
Tennessee took a 3-2 overall lead as No. 73 Bowers fell to No. 7 Tomase, 7-5, 6-3, at No. 1. Although Tomase started on a 3-0 run with a break in the second game, Bowers responded with a 4-0 run for the lead. The next three games were also breaks until Tomase held for 6-5 and broke again for the set. In the second, Bowers held on the only deuce point of the match for 1-1, and then was the first to break for a 2-1 lead that she consolidated for 3-1. However, Tomase finished on a 5-0 run for the win.
The Longhorns won the first sets of the last two matches in convincing fashion, but both still ended up in third sets. The clinch for Tennessee came at No. 6 where Drugdova was downed by Yli-Piipari, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Drugdova controlled the first set with a 6-1 win where she only surrendered a hold for Yli-Piipari for 2-1. In the second set, Yli-Piipari broke and held on a deuce point for a 2-0 lead, but the next two games also went to deuce with Drugdova taking both before holding for a 3-2 lead. Yli-Piipari then went on a 3-0 run for a 5-3 lead, and after Drugdova held for 5-4, she had a break chance at deuce in the next game, but Yli-Piipari held for the set. Yli-Piipari then broke to open the third, but Drugdova broke back and held for a 2-1 lead. From there, Yli-Piipari went on a 4-0 run that included deuce-point breaks for leads of 3-2 and 5-2. Drugdova got one of the breaks back to pull back within 5-3, but Yli-Piipari broke one more time to win.
In the remaining match at No. 2, No. 20 Herea had a match point in her third set against No. 32 Aulia, but was trailing when play stopped, 6-0, 3-6, 5-6. After Herea swept the first set with only one deuce point for 5-0, almost all of the second set consisted of breaks except a deuce-point hold for Aulia for a 5-3 lead. After that, she broke again on another deuce point for the win. In the third set, Herea broke and held for a 2-0 lead, but Aulia got the break back for 3-3 and consolidated for a 4-3 lead. Herea then won consecutive deuce points to take a 5-4 lead and had a match point at deuce in the next game, but Aulia was able to break to keep the match alive and then held for a 6-5 lead before play halted.
The Longhorns (10-9, 4-6 SEC) will next travel to face No. 42 Kentucky on Sunday, March 30, at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT.
#7 Tennessee 4, #15 Texas 2
Singles – Order of Finish (4,5,3,1,6)
1. #7 Elza Tomase (TENN) def. #73 Ashton Bowers (TEXAS) 7-5, 6-3
2. #32 Catherine Aulia (TENN) vs. #20 Carmen Herea (TEXAS) 0-6, 6-3, 6-5, unf.
3. #92 Leyla Britez Risso (TENN) def. #54 Eszter Meri (TEXAS) 6-2, 6-2
4. Vanesa Suarez (TENN) def. #71 Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo (TEXAS) 6-4, 6-2
5. Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) def. Conley Raidt (TENN) 6-4, 6-2
6. Saray Yli-Piipari (TENN) def. Salma Drugdova (TEXAS) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Doubles – Order of Finish (2,1,3)
1. #27 Ariana Anazagasty-Pursoo/Ashton Bowers (TEXAS) def. Elza Tomase/Maeve Thornton (TENN) 6-3
2. #44 Catherine Aulia/Leyla Britez Risso (TENN) def. Salma Drugdova/Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (TEXAS) 6-1
3. Carmen Herea/Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) def. Conley Raidt/Saray Yli-Piipari (TENN) 7-6 (1)
Players Mentioned
