LAS VEGAS, Nev., March 20 - Southern Utah's women's tennis won its last two matches of the Summit League cluster on Saturday at Bally's Resort in Las Vegas, winning its first match over Western Illinois and the second match over Centenary 4-0 and 7-0, respectively.
In the match against Western Illinois, the Thunderbirds did not lose even one point, defeating the Leathernecks in both of the doubles matches, one of the doubles matches was suspended, and also in all three singles matches. The last three singles matches did not finish. Despite of not finishing, the Thunderbirds were leading two out of the three matches.
SUU's Russian duo of No. 1 Ksusha Nazarova and No. 2 Olga Tatarchenko opened the doubles-match series with an 8-4 win over Stephanie Baumer and Kate Kennedy. After the match of SUU's teammates Kirrily Burden and Carmen Blanco was suspended, the Thunderbirds won the third doubles with Kristi Latteier and Mandie Divino, 8-4.
In singles, Nazarova defeated Marcela Brandao at No. 1, 6-3, 6-2. Tatarchenko took a 6-2, 6-0 win over Baumer at No. 2 while Burden gave up only one game, winning 6-0, 6-1 over Jill Furlong at No. 3. Even though the last three matches did not finish, the Thunderbirds continued in their tempo with No. 4 Blanco leading over Amy Unzicker, 6-3, 5-3 and Latteier leading over Kate Kennedy, 6-1, 2-1 at fifth singles. Divino was trailing Yona Meinert, 6-1, 3-1 at No. 6.
In the afternoon match against Centenary, Southern Utah gave up only one game during the nine matches, winning all three singles and all six doubles. The last match in singles and the last match in doubles the Thunderbirds won by default.
In doubles, SUU's Nazarova and Tatarchenko took an 8-0 win over Centenary's No.1 Isadora Bickham and No.2 Holden Penney while Burden and Blanco won the second doubles match over Catlin Orschel and Polly Henderson by the same result.
In singles, Nazarova gave up the only one game for the Thunderbirds in a 6-1, 6-0 nwin over Isadora Bickham. Tatarchenko, Burden, Blanco, and Latteier won their singles by the same result, 6-0, 6-0, while Divino picked up a win at No. 6 as Centenary did not have a sixth player.
With the two-game winning streak, the Thunderbirds improved their record to 5-6 and 2-2 in Summit League.
In other matches contested at the Summit League cluster Saturday UMKC beat Centenary 5-0 and Oral Roberts beat South Dakota State 7-0.
SUU's women's tennis team will come back to Las Vegas on Wednesday to take on Cincinnati at the Las Vegas Challenge, following by a match against Idaho State on Friday.
Women's Tennis Result
Southern Utah 4, Western Illinois 0
At Bally's, Las Vegas
March 20, 2010
Doubles:
1 - Nazarova and Tatarchenko, SUU, def. Baumer and Kennedy, WIU, 8-4
2 - Burden and Blanco, SUU, vs. Brandau and Meinert, WIU, 5-5 (suspended)
3 - Latteier and Divino, SUU, def. Unzicker and Furlong, WIU, 8-4
Singles:
1 - Ksusha Nazarova, SUU, def. Marcela Brandao, WIU, 6-3, 6-2
2 - Olga Tatarchenko, SUU, def. Stephanie Baumer, WIU, 6-2, 6-0
3 - Kirrily Burden, SUU, def. Jill Furlong, WIU, 6-0, 6-1
4 - Carmen Blanco, SUU, led Amy Unzicker, WIU, 6-3, 5-3 (DNF)
5 - Kristi Latteier, SUU, led Kate Kennedy, WIU, 6-1, 2-1 (DNF)
6 - Yona Meinert, WIU, led Mandie Divino, SUU, 6-1, 3-1 (DNF)
Women's Tennis Result
Southern Utah 7, Centenary 0
At Bally's, Las Vegas
March 20, 2010
Doubles:
1 - Nazarova and Tatarchenko, SUU, def. BIckham and Penney, CC, 8-0
2 - Burden and Blanco, SUU, def. Orschel and Henderson, 8-0
3 - Latteier and Divino, SUU, win by default (unopposed)
Singles:
1 - Ksusha Nazarova, SUU, def. Isadora Bickham, CC, 6-1, 6-0
2 - Olga Tatarchenko, SUU, def. Holden Penney, CC, 6-0, 6-0
3 - Kirrily Burden, SUU, def. Polly Henderson, CC, 6-0, 6-0
4 - Carmen Blanco, SUU, def. Catlin Orschel, CC, 6-0, 6-0
5 - Kristi Latteier, SUU, def. Alexis Smith, CC, 6-0, 6-0
6 - Mandie Divino, SUU., win by default (unopposed)
-- SUU --
