Saturday, January 26
Long Beach, Calif.
12:00 PM
Long Beach State University
5
vs
2
UC Riverside
Photo by: Photo by John Fajardo
Tennis Gets Off To Good Start With 5-2 Win Over UC Riverside
1/26/2019 4:01:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Beach improved to 1-0 and 1-0 in league play with the win over the Highlanders.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State's depth showed its class in the opening match of the season, as the Beach dropped UC Riverside 5-2 in the first dual match of the season at the Rhodes Tennis Center.
Opening the day with doubles, Long Beach State (1-0, 1-0 Big West) won the second and third flights to come away with the point. Returning pair Natalia Munoz and Lalita Devarakonda cruised to a 6-2 win over Mahli Silpachai/Natalie Shamma of UC Riverside (0-1, 0-1 Big West to start the day. Zara Lennon and Emma Bardet, playing at No. 3, won by the same margin over Lauren Wolfe and Lindsey Gelinas to seal the point, while Tia Elpusan and Sara Khattab won at No. 1 over Wiktoria Rutkowska and Dominique Meyer.
Singles play followed the same theme, as the lower flights would lead the way for the Beach on Saturday. Flights 4-6 all won in straight sets to get an early clinch of the match for Long Beach State. Lennon rolled to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Shamma at No. 4, followed by Carlota Casasampere winning 6-1, 6-3 over Khattab and Sadaf Sadeghvaziri won 6-2, 6-2 over Hanh Pham to clinch the day for Long Beach State.
The Highlanders first point of the day came at No. 3 as Silpachai defeated Munoz 6-3, 6-2 to nick a point for UCR.
The top two flights went the distance as the teams split the spoils. Bardet won the first set over Elpusan but ultimately lost a third-set tiebreaker in a 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 defeat. Rutkowska also lost a second-set tiebreaker, but won her third set to finish off the day with a final win for the Beach in the top flight, winning 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 over Gelinas.
Next up for the Beach is trip to San Diego State on Friday, February 1 before returning once again to the Rhodes Tennis Center to host San Diego on Saturday, February 2 at 11 a.m.
Singles competition
1. Wiktoria Rutkowska (LBSU) def. Lindsey Gelinas (UCR) 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 7-5
2. Tia Elpusan (UCR) def. Emma Bardet (LBSU) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)
3. Mahli Silpachai (UCR) def. Natalia Munoz (LBSU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Zara Lennon (LBSU) def. Natalie Shamma (UCR) 6-0, 6-2
5. Sadaf Sadeghvaziri (LBSU) def. Hanh Pham (UCR) 6-2, 6-2
6. Carlota Casasampere (LBSU) def. Sara Khattab (UCR) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Tia Elpusan/Sara Khattab (UCR) def. Wiktoria Rutkowska/Dominique Meyer (LBSU) 6-4
2. Natalia Munoz/Lalita Devarakonda (LBSU) def. Mahli Silpachai/Natalie Shamma (UCR) 6-2
3. Zara Lennon/Emma Bardet (LBSU) def. Lauren Wolfe/Lindsey Gelinas (UCR) 6-2
Opening the day with doubles, Long Beach State (1-0, 1-0 Big West) won the second and third flights to come away with the point. Returning pair Natalia Munoz and Lalita Devarakonda cruised to a 6-2 win over Mahli Silpachai/Natalie Shamma of UC Riverside (0-1, 0-1 Big West to start the day. Zara Lennon and Emma Bardet, playing at No. 3, won by the same margin over Lauren Wolfe and Lindsey Gelinas to seal the point, while Tia Elpusan and Sara Khattab won at No. 1 over Wiktoria Rutkowska and Dominique Meyer.
Singles play followed the same theme, as the lower flights would lead the way for the Beach on Saturday. Flights 4-6 all won in straight sets to get an early clinch of the match for Long Beach State. Lennon rolled to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Shamma at No. 4, followed by Carlota Casasampere winning 6-1, 6-3 over Khattab and Sadaf Sadeghvaziri won 6-2, 6-2 over Hanh Pham to clinch the day for Long Beach State.
The Highlanders first point of the day came at No. 3 as Silpachai defeated Munoz 6-3, 6-2 to nick a point for UCR.
The top two flights went the distance as the teams split the spoils. Bardet won the first set over Elpusan but ultimately lost a third-set tiebreaker in a 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 defeat. Rutkowska also lost a second-set tiebreaker, but won her third set to finish off the day with a final win for the Beach in the top flight, winning 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 over Gelinas.
Next up for the Beach is trip to San Diego State on Friday, February 1 before returning once again to the Rhodes Tennis Center to host San Diego on Saturday, February 2 at 11 a.m.
Singles competition
1. Wiktoria Rutkowska (LBSU) def. Lindsey Gelinas (UCR) 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 7-5
2. Tia Elpusan (UCR) def. Emma Bardet (LBSU) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)
3. Mahli Silpachai (UCR) def. Natalia Munoz (LBSU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Zara Lennon (LBSU) def. Natalie Shamma (UCR) 6-0, 6-2
5. Sadaf Sadeghvaziri (LBSU) def. Hanh Pham (UCR) 6-2, 6-2
6. Carlota Casasampere (LBSU) def. Sara Khattab (UCR) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Tia Elpusan/Sara Khattab (UCR) def. Wiktoria Rutkowska/Dominique Meyer (LBSU) 6-4
2. Natalia Munoz/Lalita Devarakonda (LBSU) def. Mahli Silpachai/Natalie Shamma (UCR) 6-2
3. Zara Lennon/Emma Bardet (LBSU) def. Lauren Wolfe/Lindsey Gelinas (UCR) 6-2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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