GREG BARNETT
Sports Editor
After almost beating higher-ranked teams multiple times this season but coming up short, the No.-26 women’s tennis team finally got the upset they’ve wanted at No.-16 Fresno State on Sunday afternoon.
The Waves lost the doubles point to start the match, but stormed back to win four of six in the singles matches. With the win, the Waves improved to 15-4 on the season and Fresno State dropped to 11-7.
Head Coach Gualberto Escudero said it was the biggest match of the year for his players because it was the last opportunity for the team to beat a higher-ranked team.
“All year long we thought we could beat some of the top teams,” Escudero said. “If you don’t beat somebody they’ll start believing, ‘Well yes, we’re good enough but may not be able to do it.’ But once you beat somebody you know you can.”
In doubles, Fresno State won the No.-2 and No.-3 matches to clinch the point against the Waves, who hadn’t lost the doubles point all season. Sophomore Jill Braverman and freshman Anu Bhargava lost to Renata Kucerkova and Anastasia Petukhova (8-4). The sophomore tandem of Tania Rice and Anete Bandere fell to Jacqueline Haskett and Danon Beatty (8-5).
However, Escudero said his squad gained momentum when the No.-10 nationally ranked pair of seniors Sylvia Kosakowski and Bianca Dulgheru upset No.-4 Melanie Gloria and Tinesta Rowe in a tiebreaker (8-7).
In singles, the women lost the top two matches with Kosakowski falling to Gloria (6-1, 6-4), and Bhargava dropping her match to Petukhova (6-4, 6-4). Bhargava said recently she has been playing well but hasn’t been able to put away her opponents.
“It’s frustrating when I know I’m there and I’m up, and then I don’t put away the match,” she said. “One point here and there and the whole match is completely changed.”
However, Pepperdine got on the board with junior Alex Liles winning the No.-6 singles match over Beatty (6-2, 6-1). Dulgheru then defeated Kucerkova (6-4, 6-0) despite having four fans screaming in the middle of points.
In the crucial final two singles matches, Braverman and Bandere pulled out three-set victories despite both losing the second set 6-0.
The Waves are back on the court Saturday when they travel to UC Irvine for a 2 p.m. contest.
04-10-2008