April 17, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON - In Thursday's opening round match of the 2008 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship at the John E. Hoff Courts on the campus of the University of Houston, No. 8 East Carolina downed No. 9 UAB, 4-2. UAB claimed the doubles point to grab the early advantage, but could not hold on in singles and fell at spots two, three, four and six to take the loss.

The teams began the match with doubles play and Antonia Nugent and Evelien Strikjer of UAB paired at the No.1 position and defeated ECU's Alex Smith and Brooke Walter, 8-5. UAB's No. 3 doubles tandem of Seden Soyalp and Jenny Cape clinched the doubles point with their win over Varinia Soler and two-time CUSA All-Academic team member Hannah Priest, 8-4. With the point secured, doubles play was halted and singles play got underway.

Strikjer and ECU freshman Jessica Cook battled at the top singles spot and Strikjer took a straight-set win, 7-6, 6-3. That proved to be the only singles point the Blazers would win, however, as the Pirates rallied back to win out in singles to secure the win.

The Pirates' Mireia Gol downed Nugent at No. 3 in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, before the last three singles matches were decided in three-set fashion that played out over three hours.

Soler outlasted Gulsah Esen at No. 2, winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-1, while Walker took out Cape at No. 4 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.

After dropping the first set at No. 6, Tamara Sachs came back to defeat Ceylan Engin in convincing fashion, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.

East Carolina advances to face No. 1 Tulsa at 10 a.m. on Friday in the first quarterfinal match-up and improves to 17-5 on the spring. UAB concluded its season at 9-6.