Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Pepperdine
No. 23 Women's Tennis Picks Up Win Over Pepperdine
3/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 28, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - Chloe Carlotti kept adding to her victory total, and this time her teammates responded as 23rd-ranked Fresno State snapped a two-match losing streak with a 5-2 victory over Pepperdine at the Ralphs-Strauss Tennis Center in Malibu, Calif.
Previously this week against No. 14 Washington and No. 24 Harvard, Carlotti won both of her singles and doubles matches only to have Fresno State eventually lose. But today, the sophomore ranked No. 8 in the nation in singles received help from the top and bottom of the lineup.
The Bulldogs (8-7) took a 1-0 lead right away by winning at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles. The 28th-ranked duo of Carlotti and Lucia Tallo rolled past Charlotte Vernaz and Monika Horvath 8-1 to pace Fresno State.
In singles, the Bulldogs bolted to a 3-0 lead with straight-set victories at No. 5 by Kathrin Winterhalter and at No. 6 by Kirsty McRae.
Pepperdine (6-10), ranked No. 67 and playing with a complete lineup for the first time in eight matches, collected wins at Nos. 3 and 4, but Fresno State's two ranked singles players ended up clinching the match. At No. 2, Tallo, who entered the singles rankings Wednesday at No. 108, upset the 51st-ranked Vernaz 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-1.
Then at No. 1, it was Carlotti who won her fifth match in her last six tries. The Paris, France, native defeated No. 49 Natalie Braverman 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, running her record to 22-7 (13-2 dual). Carlotti is now an impressive 9-1 in three-set matches on the season.
"I am very, very pleased with how we played and competed today," said head coach Kevin Epley. "This is a tough week for us since we play so many good teams away from home, so to break this mini-losing streak is a nice feeling."
Fresno State returns to action Sunday against No. 45 Washington State in Berkeley, Calif.
No. 23 Fresno State 5, No. 67 Pepperdine 2
Doubles (Fresno State wins point)
1) No. 28 Carlotti/Tallo (FS) def. Vernaz/Horvath (Pepp), 8-1
2) Winterhalter/Sainz (FS) def. Braverman/Asimgil (Pepp), 9-7
3) Andersson/Schlapbach (Pepp) def. McRae/Jovanovic, 8-5
Singles
1) No. 8 Chloe Carlotti (FS) def. No. 49 Natalie Braverman (Pepp), 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
2) No. 108 Lucia Tallo (FS) def. No. 51 Charlotte Vernaz (Pepp), 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-1
3) Merve Asimgil (Pepp) def. Lucia Sainz (FS), 6-4, 6-2
4) Karin Schlapbach (Pepp) def. Vlatka Jovanovic (FS), 4-6, 7-5, (10-5)
5) Kathrin Winterhalter (FS) def. Anna Andersson (Pepp), 6-3, 6-1
6) Kirsty McRae (FS) def. Monika Horvath (Pepp), 6-3, 6-2
Records: Fresno State (8-7), Pepperdine (6-10)
