Women's Tennis 5/14/2010 12:00:00 AM

No. 64 Mean Green Drop Heart-Breaker to No. 32 Tulsa In NCAA First Round

WACO, Texas - The Tulsa Hurricane women's tennis team posted a 4-2 victory over the North Texas Mean Green in first round action of the 2010 NCAA Tournament on Friday at the Baylor Tennis Center on the campus of Baylor University.

With the win, Tulsa advances to the tournament's second round for the third time in school history, previously advancing in 2000 and '08. The 32^nd-ranked Hurricane raised its season record to 22-5 while the 64^th-ranked Mean Green squad, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance, ends its season at 17-7.

Tulsa took the doubles point by securing victories at courts 1 and 3, respectively. The 50^th-ranked tandem of Alexandra Kichoutkin and JoAnne Karaitiana raced past North Texas' Irina Paraschiv and Amy Joubert, 8-1, at the top spot. Clinching the doubles point at No. 3 was Tulsa's Rebecca Row and Michelle Farley with an 8-0 blanking of North Texas' Madura Ranganathan and Narine Kazarova.

In singles, Tulsa claimed wins at courts 1, 3, and 5 to seal the victory while North Texas scored points at courts 3 and 6. Tulsa's Row walked off the court first with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 5 then Catalina Cruz put North Texas on the board with a win at No. 6, 6-3, 7-5. At the top spot, Kichoutkin won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, before North Texas's Paula Dinuta posted her squad's final point with a three-set win at No. 3.

Tulsa's Anastasia Erofeeva clinched the match with a three-set win on court two.

"I am very happy with the way we competed in doubles. I thought that North Texas came out and out-competed us in certain positions in the singles. I give them a lot of credit, they are well coached. They were ready, but we prevailed and are looking forward to tomorrow," said Tulsa head coach Dean Orford.

"We really rallied after losing the doubles point. We challenged them and said 'if we have to end the season here, we're going to have good memories. Make sure that if they beat you, they beat you , not because we're beating ourselfes.' That is what I'm so proud of today, our kids came back and fought until the end. It hurts to lose but I'm very, very proud of our girls," said North Texas head coach Sujay Lama.

#32 Tulsa 4, #64 North Texas 2

Friday, May 14 - Women's NCAA First Round - 11 a.m.

Baylor Tennis Center • Waco, Texas

RECORDS: Tulsa 22-5; North Texas 17-7

SINGLES

1. #66 Alexandra Kichoutkin, Tulsa def. Madura Ranganathan, UNT 6-2, 6-4

2. Anastasia Erofeeva, Tulsa def. Irina Paraschiv, UNT 5-7, 6-3, 6-0

3. Paula Dinuta, UNT def. JoAnne Karaitiana, Tulsa 1-6, 6-2, 7-5

4. Ewa Szatkowska, Tulsa vs. Barbora Vykydalova, UNT DNF

5. Rebecca Row, Tulsa def. Narine Kazarova, UNT 6-1, 6-1

6. Catalina Cruz, UNT def. Michelle Farley, Tulsa 6-3, 7-5

DOUBLES