LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- In its first outing of the 2017 season, the Lady Toppers' tennis squad defeated Detroit Mercy, 7-0, inside the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center in Louisville.
The victory over the Titans marks the first sweep since March 25, 2016, when WKU went on the road and won against Evansville.
WKU began Friday's match with telling performances from the one and two doubles positions as the combination of veterans and newcomers garnered the two victories. Senior Andreanna Christopoulou paired up with freshman Lisa Friess and took down Anna Davydova and Ksenia Providokhina in a close one, 6-4. At the No. 2 spot the rookie duo of Natalia De Ugarte and Cindy Oest handed a 6-1 loss to the Titans to secure the doubles point.
After claiming the doubles point, Christopoulou defeated Detroit Mercy's Davydova 6-2, 6-3 for the first singles point of the dual match. Senior Elpida Malamou followed suit with a 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Pauline Van Herck, and freshman Cindy Oest clinched the Lady Topper victory with a third-set tie-breaking win of 6-7, 6-4, 10-7 over Marie Maitrot.
The remaining matches were played out as the rest of the freshmen - De Ugarte, Monica Malinen and Friess - tallied victories to start off their careers on The Hill a perfect 1-0.
"For a first match I think the girls handled it well. We did not play our best tennis today but we fought through it and got a couple of 10-point tiebreakers in our favor," commented head coach Jonatan Berhane. "Tomorrow will be a tough match and we will definitely see a different tempo, so we will have to come out strong in doubles and singles."
WKU will be back in action tomorrow as the Lady Toppers will take on Louisville at 3 p.m. CT at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.
Singles
1. Andreanna Christopoulou (WKU) def. Anna Davydova (UDM) 6-2, 6-3
2. Elpida Malamou (WKU) def. Pauline Van Herck (UDM) 6-1, 6-1
3. Cindy Oest (WKU) def. Marie Maitrot (UDM) 6-7, 6-4, 10-7
4. Natalia De Ugarte (WKU) def. Iris Thioux (UDM) 3-6, 6-2, 10-2
5. Monica Malinen (WKU) def. Nynke Van Der Goot (UDM) 6-3, 6-4
6. Lisa Friess (WKU) def. Ksenia Providokhina (UDM) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
1. Christopoulou/Friess (WKU) def. Davydova/Providokhina (UDM) 6-4
2. De Ugarte/Oest (WKU) def. Maitrot/Van Herck (UDM) 6-1
3. Thioux/Van Der Goot (UDM) def. Malamou/Malinen (WKU) 6-3
