WICHITA, Kansas —After Maria Kononova and Tamuna Kutubidze led the North Texas tennis team to an early 1-0 lead over No. 44 Wichita State by clinching the doubles point, the Mean Green dropped four singles matches to lose 4-2 to the Shockers Saturday afternoon. 

Due to rain in the Wichita area, Saturday's match was moved from WSU's normal outdoor facility to the indoor facility at the Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kan. 

The start Saturday the Mean Green (9-7) had was exactly what they were looking for. 

For the North Texas' most successful doubles team, Kononova and Kutubidze remained undefeated this year with a 7-5 victory at No. 1 to clinch the doubles point. Kononova and Kutubidze who are ranked No. 44 in the nation defeated the Shockers' Fatima Bizhukova and Marta Bellucco who are the No. 25 ranked team. It's Kononova and Kutubidze's first win this year over a higher ranked opponent. The seniors are now 7-0 this season and 36-9 all-time in dual matches. 

After losing the doubles point and trailing headed into singles, Wichita State (9-8) won three straight singles matches to put the Mean Green on the edge. Furthermore, Kononova trailed 5-2 in the third set of her singles match. 

However, Kononova roared back to win 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) to win her 10-straight singles match. The win was al 78th career singles win and improves her all-time record to 78-36. Kononova, who already owns the school record for singles wins, she broke the record this past fall with her 67th.

While her win on Saturday kept UNT alive against the Shockers and, the momentum couldn't carry over as WSU clinched the win a few minutes later at the sixth spot in the lineup and win the match 4-2. 

For Kutubidze, Saturday's singles loss was just her third in her last 24 matches dating back to last year. 

SINGLES
1. #121 Fatima Bizhukova (WSU) def. #77 Tamuna Kutubidze (UNT) 6-1, 6-2
2. Maria Kononova (UNT) def. Sandra Honigova (WSU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Esther Thebault (WSU) def. Alexandra Hecsey (UNT) 7-5, 6-1
4. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) def. Ivana Babic (UNT) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
5. Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) vs. Nidhi Surapaneni (UNT) 6-4, 4-4, unfinished
6. Alexandra Lazarova (WSU) def. Minying Liang (UNT) 6-4, 6-1

DOUBLES
1. #44 Tamuna Kutubidze/Maria Kononova (UNT) def. #25 Fatima Bizhukova/Marta Bellucco (WSU) 7-5
2. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva/Esther Thebault (WSU) def. Ivana Babic/Alexandra Hecsey (UNT) 6-1
3. Nidhi Surapaneni/Minying Liang (UNT) def. Sandra Honigova/Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) 6-4