April 7, 2012
DETROIT - For the fourth time this season, the UIC women's tennis team (11-3/4-0 HL) came away with a 6-1 win as they defeated Detroit (5-11/2-4 HL) on Saturday at the Titan Tennis Complex. While the Flames take their ninth-straight win, they extend their Horizon League win streak to 137.
Beginning competition at doubles, UIC took the first point as they swept Detroit. Mariya Kovaleva and Haley Craig went up at No. 1 to defeat Elena Strakhova and Amanda Cornwell, 8-4, while Teona Tsertsvadze and Elisa Simonetti took the No. 2 position against Chloe Karoub and Raina Halabi, 8-5. Coming in at No. 3, Linda Hricistova and Kathryn Sharples were able to take the match as they won by default.
In singles play, the Flames recorded four straight-set wins over the Titans. Kovaleva, Simonetti and Jana Knoppe extended their individual win streaks to seven as they defeated each of their respective opponents. Kovaleva came out on top of Halabi, 7-5, 6-1, at No. 1, Simonetti topped Cornwell, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 3 and Knoppe went in at No. 5 to take down Julia Fernandes, 7-5, 6-3.
Craig captured the win over Strakhova at No. 3 in a 6-2, 6-1 final to mark her 19th singles win of the season, while Sharples took the final point as she won by default. Despite Tsertsvadze's loss at No. 2 against Karoub, she battled through the match to come back in the second and go to a third set before falling 6-4, 2-6, 10-7.
UIC heads home before hosting back-to-back matches with Cleveland State on Saturday, April 14, at 10 a.m. (CT) and Youngstown State on Sunday, April 15, at 11 a.m. (CT) at the Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts.
UIC 6, Detroit 1
Doubles:
1. Kovaleva/Craig (UIC) def. Strakhova/Cornwell (DETM) - 8-4
2. Tsertsvadze/Simonetti (UIC) def. Karoub/Halabi (DETM) - 8-5
3. Hricistova/Sharples (UIC) wins by default
Singles:
1. Mariya Kovaleva (UIC) def. Raina Halabi (DETM) - 7-5, 6-1
2. Chloe Karoub (DETM) def. Teona Tsertsvadze (UIC) - 6-4, 2-6, 10-7
3. Haley Craig (UIC) def. Elena Strakhova (DETM) - 6-2, 6-1
4. Elisa Simonetti (UIC) def. Amanda Cornwell (DETM) - 6-1, 6-1
5. Jana Knoppe (UIC) def. Julia Fernandes (DETM) - 7-5, 6-3
6. Kathryn Sharples (UIC) wins by default
