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Mayu Ushio
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Illinois Chicago UIC
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Marquette MU-W

Match Recap: Women's Tennis |

Ushio's Victory Fuels Flames Past Marquette, 4-3

UIC won four of six singles matches in Friday’s contest

MILWAUKEE (March 1, 2024) - Behind a thrilling third set victory by Mayu Ushio (Yamaguchi, Japan/Miami University) at No. 3 singles, the UIC women's tennis team (3-6) won a gritty road contest at Marquette (2-10) Friday afternoon, as the Flames defeated the Golden Eagles 4-3 at the Helfaer Tennis & Recreation Center.
 
After dropping the doubles point, UIC won four of six singles matches to defeat Marquette. The win is only the Flames' fourth all-time victory against the Golden Eagles in 33 meetings and UIC's third against Marquette since 2000.


 
COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH ELIZABETH LUMPKIN ROBINSON
 
"Our team fought extremely hard on every court today. After a heartbreaking doubles point, we dug in and showed a lot of heart and toughness today. I'm proud of the team's effort this afternoon. Mayu Ushio showed a lot of growth in rebounding from losing the deciding doubles match to clinching the match victory in singles competition for us."
 
MATCH RECAP
  • In doubles action UIC's No. 2 doubles team of  Tamara Malazonia (Birmingham, United Kingdom/St. Paul's School for Girls) and Camille Belberka (Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg, France/Seward County Community College (Kan.) saved four match points before winning their match 7-5. Marquette took the doubles point after the Flames double-faulted on match point in the No. 1 doubles match.
  • In singles competition, both Belberka at the No. 4 position and Zara Ryan (Dublin, Ireland/Utah State) at the No. 5 spot, made quick work of their opponents, winning in straight sets. Ryan's victory stopped a seven-match losing streak and was her first singles win since UIC's season-opener at Butler.
  • At No. 2 singles, Malazonia won her second match of the season, defeating her Marquette counterpart in straight sets. The victory was her first singles win since Feb. 3 against Bowling Green.
  • In the No. 1 singles match, after dropping the first set 6-4, Agnes Gustafsson (Paris, France Akademi Båstad Gymnasium, Sweden) fought back in the second set from being down 4-1 to force a tiebreak, but ultimately dropped the set and match to Marquette's Emilija Kojcic.
  • After Marquette won at No. 6 singles to tie team score at 3-3 the attention turned to the contest at No. 3 singles, which would decide the match.
  • Down 4-2 in the third set, Ushio won four games in a row to win the set and clinch the match for the Flames.


NEWS AND NOTES
  • Friday's victory halted a 14-match win streak by Marquette, dating back to 2006.
  • Five of the six singles matches Friday either went three sets or featured a 7-6 tiebreak victory in a set.
  • UIC's victory snapped a four-match losing streak for the Flames.
  • The match at Marquette was the final away contest of UIC's season-long four-match road trip. 
Full results from Friday's match are below.
 
RESULTS
 
UIC 4, MU 3
 
Doubles – UIC wins the doubles point
  1. Weise/Kaiser (MU) def. Gustafsson/Ushio (UIC) 7-5
  2. Malazonia/Belberka (UIC) def. Windbuchler/Davis (MU) 7-5
  3. Kojcic/Jarmond (MU) def. Ryan/Rodriguez Gregoris (UIC) 6-3
Singles
  1. Kojcic (MU) def. Gustafsson (UIC) 7-5, 7-6 (3)
  2. Malazonia (UIC) def. Davis (MU) 6-4, 7-6 (1)
  3. Ushio (UIC) def. Badawi (MU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
  4. Belberka (UIC) def. Windbuchler (MU) 6-0, 6-4
  5. Ryan (UIC) def. Kaiser 7-6 (3), 6-2
  6. Jarmond (MU) def. Brion (UIC) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
UP NEXT
  • The Flames return home to face Georgia State (3-6) Saturday at 2 p.m. at the XS Tennis Village.
  • After opening the 2024 season with an 0-4 start, Georgia State has won three of its last five matches, with victories over Florida A&M (6-1), Jacksonville State (4-3) and Presbyterian (5-2).
  • Graduate student Andreea Stanescu leads Georgia State with four wins on the season, with all four victories coming at the No. 4 singles spot.
  • Georgia State's contest against UIC starts a five-match road trip for the program. The team already completed a six-match road swing to start the 2024 slate.
  • Saturday's contest will be the first between the Flames and Panthers in program history.
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
  • For more information on the UIC women's tennis program, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UICWTEN and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_wten and @uicflames).
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