TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The ninth-ranked women’s tennis team earned a 4-0 victory over Northwestern State in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tennis Championship on Friday at the Alabama Tennis Stadium. The Crimson Tide advances to take on Memphis in Saturday’s second round contest at 1 p.m. CT.

 

“What I liked about today’s match was that we stayed on it,” said head coach Jenny Mainz. “We were not sloppy in any capacity. Northwestern State was a good team. I felt like we needed to come out early and make them feel that pressure from the beginning. I like how we did that consistently from one to six. I don’t feel like two or three people did it, but that we did it at every spot. To me, that is the mark of a good team.”

 

Alabama (20-5) got off to a strong start in doubles against the Lady Demons (14-8), winning on courts two and three for the first point of the match. The Tide’s 83rd-ranked tandem of Antonia Foehse and Maya Jansen topped Natalya Krutova and Paulina Konop on court two, 8-2, and Natalia Maynetto and Emily Zabor followed with an 8-4 victory against Northwestern State’s Amy Williams and Daniela Simonova on court three.

 

The momentum was not lost between doubles and singles for Alabama as the Tide won five of the six first sets, dropping a combined three games. As the match progressed, courts two through five got on pace to finish simultaneously, making for an exciting ending. Jansen was first to finish, knocking off Krutova, 6-0, 6-1 on court three. Foehse was next to close out her match, posting a 6-0, 6-1 win from the No. 4 position over Andrea Nedorostova. The clincher could have come from two, five or six, but it was Maynetto at No. 5 beating out not only her opponent, but also her teammates to clinch the victory.

 

Depending on weather, Saturday’s match will either be played outdoors at the Alabama Tennis Stadium or indoors at the Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility. Tickets can be purchased at the door beginning at Noon CT. The cost is $5 for general admission or $3 for UA students.

 

RESULTS

Doubles

1. No. 7 Guarachi/Macfarlane (UA) def. Larina/Nedorostova (NWSU) 5-4, unf.

2. No. 83 Foehse/Jansen (UA) def. Krutova/Konop (NWSU) 8-2

3. Maynetto/Zabor (UA) def. Williams/Simonova (NWSU) 8-4

Order of Finish: 2,3

 

Singles

1. No. 34 Mary Anne Macfarlane (UA) vs. Polina Konop (NWSU) 6-7(3), 0-2, unf.

2. No. 36 Alexa Guarachi (UA) vs. Tatiana Larina (NWSU) 6-2, 5-1, unf.

3. No. 118 Maya Jansen (UA) def. Natalya Krutova (NWSU) 6-0, 6-1

4. Antonia Foehse (UA) def. Andrea Nedorostova (NWSU) 6-0, 6-1

5. Natalia Maynetto (UA) def. Olga Leyshyna (NWSU) 6-0, 6-2

6. Emily Zabor (UA) vs. Daniela Simonova (NWSU) 6-1, 5-1, unf.

Order of Finish: 3,4,5