DENTON -- A slow start didn't crush the Mean Green tennis team but it was the difference in Saturday's 4-0 loss against Memphis.

After dropping the doubles-point and losing early momentum in singles by losing four of the six first sets, North Texas (7-11) was resilient in a comeback fight that saw the team force a third-set decision on three courts. The Mean Green competed for every point and won multiple tiebreakers to take back the momentum and be within striking distance of actually taking a lead.

However, the comeback could not come full circle as Memphis (12-7), playing with more ease after the strong start, finished off UNT by winning on courts three, five and six.

After the match, Mean Green head coach Sujay Lama was disappointed by the outcome but remained positive as he was pleased by the way his team battled through adverse windy weather and early deficit.

"This entire season has been a battle" Lama said. "We've faced so many challenges with injuries and also overcome so much that you have to appreciate the fight this team brings every match. Today, Memphis was the better team. I think, though, if we had won the doubles-point the outcome would have been different. We would have had the psychological advantage and put the pressure on them, instead of the other way around."

After losing the doubles-point, UNT appeared a little rattled and stressed. But slowly they began to regain momentum when Alexandra Heczey won her first-set with a dominating tiebreaker performance at No. 4 and Minying Liang also won her first-set tiebreaker.

North Texas' No. 1, Maria Kononova, and No. 2 Tamuna Kutubidze, looked like their normal selves in the second-set by overpowering their Tiger competitors and putting the pressure on Memphis.

As the match began to near the end, Kononova, Kutubidze and Heczey were on the verge of a ending their matches -- Kutubidze just two points away -- but quick finishes at No. 5 and No. 6 put Memphis in serious command and then a dominating third-set by the Tigers at No. 3 closed the book on Saturday's match before UNT could throw its heavyweight blow.

"If we can just bring are usual energy on all three courts in doubles instead of bringing it when the pressure is on us, we'll be right where we want to be, and we're right there," Lama said.

NEXT UP
North Texas begins its final road trip of the regular season with a Sunday morning match at Tulsa. They then will play their final road match of the year the following Thursday night at SMU.

RESULTS

SINGLES
1. #58 Maria Kononova (UNT) vs. Anki Wind (MEMPHIS) 2-6, 7-5, 3-4, unfinished
2. Tamuna Kutubidze (UNT) vs. Hanna Sohn (MEMPHIS) 1-6, 6-3, 5-5, unfinished
3. Laura Bente (MEMPHIS) def. Minying Liang (UNT) 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-0
4. Alexandra Heczey (UNT) vs. Alisha Reayer (MEMPHIS) 7-6 (7-2), 4-5, unfinished
5. Katherine Cao (MEMPHIS) def. Nidhi Surapaneni (UNT) 6-3, 7-5
6. Lina Hohnhold (MEMPHIS) def. Haruka Sasaki (UNT) 6-4, 6-2

DOUBLES
1. Laura Bente/Alisha Reayer (MEMPHIS) def. Tamuna Kutubidze/Alexandra Heczey (UNT) 6-4
2. Katherine Cao/Anki Wind (MEMPHIS) def. Maria Kononova/Minying Liang (UNT) 6-2
3. Ivana Babic/Nidhi Surapaneni (UNT) vs. Hanna Sohn/Josephine Cao (MEMPHIS) 6-6, unfinished