Women's tennis tops Memphis in AAC quarterfinals

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Defeat Memphis In The AAC Tournament Quarterfinals
Memphis Comeback Falls Short As Back And Forth Final Singles Match Moves SMU To Semi-Finals

April 21, 2016

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (SMU) – The SMU women’s tennis team [result] their match to the Memphis Tigers 4-3 today at the Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center.

The match came down the No. 6 singles matchup between Macie Elliott and Tara McElroy that was last to start play due to an unplayable court. Elliott won the first set 7-5 after a lot of back and forth play in front an energetic crowd of Memphis supporters.

“It was really nice to get the first set and quiet the crowd a little,” Elliott said. “I was down 15-40 and hit a second serve ace to pull momentum my way in that game.”

The second set was much of the same with Elliott getting up early and never letting McElroy take the lead to win the set, clinching the match for the Mustangs.

SMU won the doubles point with Elliott and Ana Perez-Lopez winning their match 6-1 over Marta Morga and McElroy from the No. 3 position. The No. 1 pair of Vaszilisza Bulgakova and Hristina Dishkova dropped their match 6-3 to Hanna Sohn and Janina Barres just as Dasha Sharapova and Mary Wright won their match 6-3 at No. 2 against Gabrielle Paul and Kathryn Hughes.

“Winning doubles always sets the tone for us,” Elliott said. “It’s good to get the first point of the match and get sets in before singles.”

Dishkova (No. 1) got the first singles win for the Mustangs as she topped Sohn 6-2, 6-2 as Bulgakova (No.2) won also won over Hughes 6-4, 6-1 to give SMU a 3-0 lead. Perez-Lopez (No. 4) dropped her match 6-1, 6-3 to Barres to give Memphis their first point, Sharapova (No. 3) also falling to Morga 6-3, 7-5, and Wright (No. 5) lost her match to Paul 7-5, 6-3 to tie the match up.

SMU will take on the USF Bulls tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. CT in the semi-finals, USF won a match 4-2 earlier this season on March 12.