Stillwater, Okla. – No. 7 Texas Women's Tennis (20-4, 12-1) claimed a 4-0 victory over No. 73 Kansas State (12-12, 4-9) on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship.With the win, the Longhorns advanced the semifinals for the seventh-straight year.
After taking the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3, the Longhorns received singles victories from senior No. 120 Taisiya Pachkaleva at No. 4, senior No. 22 Malaika Rapolu at No. 1, and graduate No. 37 Tanya Sasnouskaya at No. 3 for the clinch.
"The resiliency and the tenacity of the group was good, no one let go of the rope." said coach Howard Joffe when asked about his team's performance against K-State.
In doubles, the No. 36 pair of Rapolu and Sasnouskaya were the first to finish with an efficient 6-1, win over Veronika Kulhava and Tereza Polakova at No. 1. Kulhava and Polakova held serve in the match's opening game, but the Texas tandem would respond by winning the next six games and claiming all four games decided by deuce points in the process.
The doubles point was clinched on court 3 where senior Charlotte Chavatipon and sophom*ore Vivian Ovrootsky took down Jillian Harkin and Manami Ukita, 6-2. Chavatipon and Ovrootsky began the match with a break then a hold for 2-0. From there, the next four games were held with the latter two being deuce-points holds. At 4-2, the Longhorn duo broke for 5-2 then served out the match to provide Texas the 1-0 overall lead.
Junior Sabina Zeynalova returned to action for the first time after missing the past 12 matches, playing only doubles in the match. The No. 15 duo of Pachkaleva and Zeynalova led Maralgoo Chogsomjav and Maria Santos, 5-2, on court 2, and were at match point when doubles play ended due to Texas securing the doubles point. The match's first three games stayed on serve, with the Wildcat duo holding on a deuce point in the second game, before Pachkaleva and Zeynalova earned a deuce-point break for 3-1. Chogsomjav and Santos broke back on a deuce point for 3-2, but Pachkaleva and Zeynalova continued the trend for 4-2. After holding for 5-2, Pachkaleva and Zeynalova led 40-15 before play was left unfinished.
In singles, No. 120 Pachkaleva was the first off the court with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ukita at No. 4. The senior opened the match with a hold followed by a deuce-point break for 2-0, but Ukita broke then held to even the contest. The match's next two games stayed on serve for 3-3 before Pachkaleva went on a 4-0 run, which saw the Longhorn claim the first set on a deuce-point hold and open the second set with a deuce-point break. Ukita ended the run with a break followed by a deuce-point hold for 2-1, but from there, Pachkaleva went on a 3-0 run for a 4-2 lead that included a deuce-point break for 3-2. Ukita then held serve for 4-3, but Pachkaleva would claim back-to-back deuce points to take the match.
No. 22 Rapolu was the next Longhorn to finish with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Vanesa Suarez on court 1. After the match's first two games were broken, the next three games all stayed on serve with the first two being decided by deuce points. At 3-2, Rapolu would go on to win all of the first set's remaining games with the last being a break on a deuce point to cap off a 4-0 run. In the second set, Rapolu found herself trailing, 4-1, which then advanced to 5-2. However, Rapolu showed great resilience with a break for 5-3 and a deuce-point hold on Suarez's match point for 5-4. Rapolu then broke for 5-5 and went on to take the match's next two games for the victory in straight sets.
No. 37 Sasnouskaya clinched the sweep for Texas with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win against Polakova on court 3. After dropping the first set, Sasnouskaya opened the second set with a break followed by a deuce-point hold for 2-0. The set's next two games stayed on serve for 3-1, then the graduate broke for 4-1. Polakova broke back for 4-2, and from there the set's remaining games stayed on serve with Sasnouskaya holding on a deuce point for 6-4. Sasnouskaya took five of the first six games in the third set for a 5-1 advantage and had a match point in the seventh game, but Polakova held the deuce point for 5-2. The next two games were then breaks, with the final one being a deuce-point break to clinch the Texas win.
No. 122 Chavatipon, Ovrootsky, and freshman Shachf Lieberman's matches were all left unfinished once Sasnouskaya clinched. Chavatipon narrowly trailed Chogsomjav, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 1-2, at No. 2 when play ended. After two opportunities to serve for the first set, Chavatipon eventually fell in a set tiebreaker. However, she opened the second set with a 4-0 lead that was capped off with a deuce-point break. Chogsomjav broke back for 4-1, but Chavatipon broke then held on a deuce point to take the set. The third set's only three games stayed on serve before the match was left unfinished.
Ovrootsky was close behind Kulhava, 6-4, 5-7, 2-3, on court 5 when the match ended. The match's opening game was a Kulhava deuce-point hold, but Ovrootsky held then broke on a deuce point for 2-1. The next two games were then broken, with the second being on another deuce point for Ovrootsky, making the score 3-2 in favor of the sophom*ore. From there, the set's remaining games stayed on serve, earning Ovrootsky the first set. At 4-4 in the second set, the next two games were deuce-point holds for 5-5. Kulhava proceeded to take the set's next two games, sending the match to a third set. The final set's first three games stayed on serve, with the third game being a deuce-point hold for a Kulhava 2-1 advantage. From there, the next two games were broken for the Kulhava 3-2 lead right before play was halted.
On court 6, Lieberman led Santos, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 1-0, courtesy of a surge in the second set. After falling in the first set, the Texas freshman found herself trailing the second set 4-1. The next two games were deuce-point breaks for 5-2, but from there, Lieberman went on a 4-0 run, which featured a deuce-point break on a Santos match point at 5-3. At 6-5, Santos broke to commence a tiebreaker. Lieberman trailed the tiebreaker, 3-2, before she went on to win the next five points and clinch the set. Her momentum carried over into the third set where she held the only game that was played.
Up next, the Longhorns will face 3 seed No. 18 Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Tournament Semifinals on Friday, April 19, at 6 p.m. CT at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
When asked about Friday's match against Oklahoma, Joffe commented, "There is always a big deal made about rivalries. I'm looking forward to our kids getting another chance to compete and perform a little bit better. If we can do that, we'll have an opportunity to get the win."
#7 Texas 4, #73 Kansas State 0
Singles – Order of Finish (4,1,3)
1. Malaika Rapolu (UT) def. Vanesa Suarez (KSU) 6-2, 7-5
2. Charlotte Chavatipon (UT) vs. Maralgoo Chogsomjav (KSU) 6-7 (5), 6-1, 1-2, unf.
3. Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) def. Tereza Polakova (KSU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Taisiya Pachkaleva (UT) def. Manami Ukita (KSU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Vivian Ovrootsky (UT) vs. Veronika Kulhava (KSU) 6-4, 5-7, 2-3, unf.
6. Shachf Lieberman (UT) vs. Maria Santos (KSU) 2-6, 7-6 (3), 1-0, unf.
Doubles – Order of Finish (1,3)
1. #36 Malaika Rapolu/Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) def. Veronika Kulhava/Tereza Polakova (KSU) 6-1
2. Taisiya Pachkaleva/Sabina Zeynalova (UT) vs. Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Maria Santos (KSU) 5-2, unf.
3. Charlotte Chavatipon/Vivian Ovrootsky (UT) def. Jillian Harkin/Manami Ukita (KSU) 6-2
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