DENTON — North Texas lost its fifth match this season by a score of 4-3. 

The Mean Green (5-9) lost to Wichita State (7-7) at Waranch Tennis Complex Sunday afternoon. North Texas began the match with a doubles point victory and won singles matches at No. 1 and No. 2, but losses at No. 3 through No. 6 to close out the match clinched the victory for the Shockers. 

“What we’re going to learn from today is we’ve got to have more grit,” said head coach Sujay Lama. “We put our self in position to win but I think what we’re lacking is the grit.” 

North Texas began Sunday’s match with Maria Kononova and Tamuna Kutubidze capturing their 10th doubles match win. The Mean Green’s No. 1 doubles team and No. 82 ranked team in the country beat WSU 6-1. The pair lost the first game but rallied off six straight to win the match. They remain undefeated and tied their win total from all of last year.

The team clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 victory at No. 2 by Alexis Thoma and Alexandra Heczey. 

In singles, Kononova and Kutubidze played emotional matches and played opponents who slowed the pace down. Battling through internal frustrations, Kononova and Kutubidze won both their singles matches 6-3, 7-5. 

Kutubidze has now won five of her last six singles matches after beginning the year coming off an injury and starting 1-5. 

“Its no surprise,” Lama said of Kutubidze. “This is just the beginning for her. But we all know how great she is and going to be.” 

Kononova has won back-to-back singles matches after ending her nine-match winning streak on March 3. 

WSU’s flexed its depth at No. 3 through No. 6 with straight set victories at every one of the courts.

NEXT UP
North Texas hosts Georgia State on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

RESULTS

DOUBLES

1. #77 Tamuna Kutubidze/Maria Kononova (NT) def. Gabriela Porubin/Fatima Bizhukova (WSU) 6-1
2. Alexis Thoma/Alexandra Heczey (NT) def. Tanaporn Thongsing/Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) 6-4
3. Ivana Babic/Laura Arciniegas (NT) vs. Giulia Guidetti/Marta Bellucco (WSU) 5-6, unfinished

SINGLES

1. #82 Maria Kononova (NT) def. #117 Giulia Guidetti (WSU) 6-3, 7-5
2. Tamuna Kutubidze (NT) def. Tanaporn Thongsing (WSU) 6-3, 7-5
3. Gabriela Porubin (WSU) def. Alexis Thoma (NT) 7-5, 6-0
4. Fatima Bizhukova (WSU) def. Alexandra Heczey (NT) 7-5, 6-2
5. Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) def. Haruka Sasaki (NT) 6-0, 6-3
6. Marija Mastilovic (WSU) def. Laura Arciniegas (NT) 6-3, 6-1