University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
Bowling Green
Houston Tops Bowling Green, 6-1
3/7/2017 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
HOUSTON -- The Houston Cougar Women's Tennis team returned to Houston with a 6-1 win over Bowling Green at The Downtown Club at the Met on Tuesday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The match opened with singles play, and the Cougars started with a 1-0 lead due to a forfeit at the No. 6 singles position from Bowling Green.
Freshman Constandena Nicolaou was the first Cougar to complete a match on Tuesday, rolling in straight sets over Emily Witt. Playing at the No. 5 singles position, Nicolaou won the first set 6-2 before returning to win set two 6-1 and push the score to 2-0 Houston. The win for Nicolaou was her fifth this season in singles play.
The Cougars extended their lead shortly after with a victory for freshman Tsveta Dimitrova at the No. 1 singles position. Dimitrova jumped in front with a 6-1 win in the first set, before taking the match over Paula Comella with a 6-2 mark in set two. Dimitrova improved her spring record to a team-best 7-2 with the victory.
Houston clinched the overall match with a win at the No. 4 position from freshman Lauren Alter. Alter cruised to a 6-3 win in the first set, but fell behind Ayumi Sasaki 3-2 to open set two. However, the freshman battled back to regain the lead and win the match 6-3, 6-4. Alter's win made the score 4-0 in favor of Houston and was her fifth singles victory of the spring.
Bowling Green earned its first point at the No. 3 singles position when Cristina Rovira was forced to retire before the third set due to illness. Rovira won the first set 6-4, before Marharita-Sophia Tavpash evened the match with a 6-1 win in the second set.
Junior Sveva Mazzari claimed the final singles point of the afternoon with a victory at the No. 2 position. Polina Radeva battled Mazzari to a 7-6 (7-2) win in the first set, however the Cougar responded with a 6-0 win in set two to even the match. The match then entered a super tie-breaker which Mazzari claimed 10-4 for her seventh win of the season.
Doubles play began the same way for Houston, taking a 1-0 advantage after a forfeit at the No. 3 position for Bowling Green.
Houston quickly clinched the doubles point with a victory at the No. 1 position. The team of Dimitrova and Glumac topped Comella and Tavpash 6-2 to bring the final score to 6-1 Houston. The win for the duo was their second as a team this season.
With the final score decided, play continued at No. 2 doubles. Bowling Green's pair of Sasaki and Radeva raced out to a 4-1 lead over Alter and Mazzari, before the Cougars responded by winning two of the next three games. With the score 5-3 in favor of the Falcons, Bowling Green responded by winning the next game and taking the final match 6-3.
UP NEXT FOR HOUSTON
The Cougars head back on the road for a weekend match against American Athletic Conference foe UConn, on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., ET, in Storrs, Conn.
JOIN THE CENTER COURT CLUB
The Cougars are proud to introduce the Center Court Club, a restricted-giving program that directly impacts the needs of the University of Houston Tennis program. Gifts to the Center Court Club provide financial support directly to the University of Houston Tennis program for needs beyond the program's operating budget. Revenue generated from the Center Court Club is used at the discretion of the head coach for program enhancements. Membership in the Center Court Club is annual and requires a minimum $100 gift.
LEVELS OF GIVING
WINNER
For a minimum gift of $100, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball.
ACE
For a minimum gift of $500, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation and a stadium blanket.
US OPEN
For a minimum gift of $1,000, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation, a stadium blanket, fleece jacket and a lesson from the coach.
GRAND SLAM
For a minimum gift of $2,500, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation, a stadium blanket, fleece jacket, a lesson from the coach and a group lesson from the coaching staff.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the women's tennis team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonCougarTennis) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTennis).
Players Mentioned
