April 2, 2011
BOARDMAN, Ohio- The UIC women's tennis team won all nine matches in a victory over Youngstown State on Saturday night, 7-0.
"We had a solid win today against YSU," said head coach Shannon Tully. "It was great to see a total team effort and we will take this momentum into our match tomorrow with Cleveland State."
UIC (11-4, 4-0 Horizon League) swept the doubles play, and took an early 1-0 lead going into singles play. The top doubles duo of juniors Mariya Kovaleva and Linda Hricistova defeated YSU's Margarita Sadovnikova and Karolina Sjokvist, 8-3. Senior Ilinca Cristescu and freshman Jana Knoppe took the match to YSU's Annie and Carolyn Jesko, 8-1. At the No. 2 doubles position, juniors Teona Tsertsvadze and Elisa Simonetti won the third doubles match over YSU's Gimena Puppo and Hannah Patten, 8-3.
The Flames took their dominance into singles play, as they won all six singles matches. Senior Cristescu and Knoppe both defeated their opponents in 12 games, 6-0, 6-0.
Cristescu has won her 78th all-time singles matches of her career, and five matches away from tying Emina Curic for the all-time record at 83 wins. Cristescu is also a perfect 33-0 in the Horizon League for her career. UIC has won 127 straight conference matches, and head coach Shannon Tully is a perfect 94-0 against Horizon League opponents.
The Flames will be back in action again tomorrow morning (11 a.m.), when they travel to face Cleveland State at the Malaga Tennis Center.
UIC 7, YSU 0
Singles:
1. Mariya Kovaleva (UIC) def. Margarita Sadovnikova (YSU) 6-0, 6-2
2. Teona Tsertsvadze (UIC) def. Carolyn Jesko (YSU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Ilinca Cristescu (UIC) def. Gimena Puppo (YSU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Elisa Simonetti (UIC) def. Karolina Sjokvist (YSU) 6-0, 7-6 (3)
5. Jana Knoppe (UIC) def. Hannah Patten (YSU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Linda Hricistova (UIC) def. Annie Jesko (YSU) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles:
1. Kovaleva/Hricistova (UIC) def. Sadovnikova/Sjokvist (YSU) 8-3
2. Tsertsvadze/Simonetti (UIC) def. Puppo/Patten (YSU) 8-3
3. Cristescu/Knoppe (UIC) def. A. Jesko/C. Jesko (YSU) 8-1
