March 25, 2007
LAS VEGAS - The San Diego State women's tennis team wrapped up its opening weekend of Mountain West Conference play on Sunday with a 5-2 decision over Colorado State in a neutral-site showdown at Fertitta Tennis Complex in Las Vegas, Nev. The 68th-ranked Aztecs overcame an early deficit in doubles action, capturing five of six singles matches to pull away for their fourth straight victory. With the win, SDSU also improves to 9-8 overall and 3-0 in league action, while the Rams drop to 5-6 and 0-2 in the MWC.
Just as in Saturday's triumph over Wyoming, the Aztecs claimed the first doubles match against CSU after Milana Yusupov and Kathryn Kitts prevailed by an 8-2 margin over Anette Pohjalainen and Kirsten Stople at the No. 3 position. SDSU could not cash in on its good fortune, however, as the Rams eked out a pair of 8-6 nail-biters to secure the point. At the No. 2 spot, Holly Bagshaw and Sisse Nielsen fell to Laura Neal and Lauren Strasburger, while over on the No. 1 court, Eliska Krausova and Alesya Vidov experienced a similar fate against Emily Kirchem and Hilary Tyler.
Undaunted, the Aztecs put the axe to the grindstone in singles play, taking five of six encounters in straight-set fashion. The Scarlet and Black dented the scoreboard when Nielsen pinned a 6-1, 6-1 defeat on Stople at the sixth position and took its first lead after Yusupov disposed of Pohjalainen for the second time of the day with a 6-1, 6-4 count at No. 5.
Trailing 2-1, the Rams evened things up as Vidov had her five-match winning streak snapped at the hands of Strasburger, 6-2, 6-3, at the No. 2 spot. SDSU regained the upper hand short thereafter when Krausova got past Kirchem, 6-4, 6-3, on the No. 1 court, while Bagshaw locked up the Aztecs' weekend sweep with a 6-4, 6-3 victory of her own against Neal at No. 3. Esther Cadua followed suit at No. 4, closing out the day with a win over Tyler by the identical 6-4, 6-3 score, which extended her winning streak to six.
San Diego State returns to the court next weekend when it travels to Fort Worth Texas, March 31-April 1, for round two of MWC competition. The Aztecs will tangle with No. 46 TCU on Saturday before squaring off against New Mexico in a neutral-site battle on Sunday.
No. 68 SAN DIEGO STATE 5, COLORADO STATE 2
March 25, 2007
Fertitta Tennis Complex--Las Vegas, Nev.
Doubles:
1. Emily Kirchem/Hilary Tyler (CSU) def. Alesya Vidov/Eliska Krausova (SDSU), 8-6.
2. Laura Neal/Lauren Strasburger (CSU) def. Holly Bagshaw/Sisse Nielsen (SDSU), 8-6.
3. Milana Yusupov/Kathryn Kitts (SDSU) def. Anette Pohjalainen/Kirsten Stople (CSU), 8-2.
Colorado State wins doubles point
Singles:
1. Eliska Krausova (SDSU) def. Emily Kirchem (CSU), 6-4, 6-3.
2. Lauren Strasburger (CSU) def. Alesya Vidov (SDSU), 6-2, 6-3.
3. Holly Bagshaw (SDSU) def. Laura Neal (CSU), 6-4, 6-3.
4. Esther Cadua (SDSU) def. Hilary Tyler (CSU), 6-4, 6-3.
5. Milana Yusupov (SDSU) def. Anette Pohjalainen (CSU), 6-1, 6-4.
6. Sisse Nielsen (SDSU) def. Kirsten Stople (CSU), 6-1, 6-1.
Order of finish
Doubles: 3, 2, 1
Singles: 6, 5, 2, 1, 3*, 4
*match-clinching victory