Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
#3 seed UNLV
Fresno State falls 4-2 to UNLV in MW Championship
5/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Fresno State women's tennis team came up just short in its bid for the program's second championship in the last three seasons on Sunday as the Bulldogs dropped a hard-fought 4-2 match to UNLV at the Fort Collins Country. Ranking just inside the top 50, and the top seed in the Mountain West Championship, the 'Dogs must now wait until Tuesday afternoon to see if they will receive at at-large bid to the NCAA Team Championship.
As the Bulldogs did in Fresno, Calif., when the two teams played earlier this season, No. 47 Fresno State (19-9) picked up the early advantage with the doubles point. With its No. 1 team going down 4-0 early, the outcome of the opening point appeared to be on the shoulders of its No. 2 and 3 teams.
Trading points early Fresno State's No. 3 team of Sofya Malysheva and Olivia Noble broke UNLV's serve midway through the match. Anneka Watts and Sophie Watts then did the same two points into their match. From that point on, the Bulldog duos seized control, claiming a 6-3 win on court three, and a 6-2, point-clinching win at No. 2.
The No. 72-ranked Rebels (24-1) quickly erased the 1-0 deficit as MW Freshman of the Year Aiwen Zhu claimed a 6-1, 6-0 victory on court two over Sophie Watts. MW Player of the Year, Mayar Sherif Ahmed then responded with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Carol Yang to regain Fresno State's one-point edge.
Things then took a turn for the Bulldogs. After winning the opening set at No. 3 with an 8-6 tiebreak, Rana Sherif Ahmed was unable to sustain her momentum against Anna Bogoslavets. The Rebel freshman turned the tide with her with her 24th consecutive win with a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-5 result. Shortly thereafter, UNLV pulled to within one of clinching the match with another three-set victory as Paola Artiga defeated Galina Bykova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
In the No. 5 match, UNLV clinched the championship as Cristina Moroi topped Anneka Watts, 6-2, 6-3. The championship was the Rebels first since 2013.
UNLV vs Fresno State
5/1/2016 at Fort Collins, Colorado
(Fort Collins Country Club)
UNLV 4, Fresno State 2
Singles competition
1. Mayar Sherif Ahmed (FS) def. Carol Yang (UNLV) 6-4, 6-2
2. Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) def. Sophie Watts (FS) 6-1, 6-0
3. Anna Bogoslavets (UNLV) def. Rana Sherif Ahmed (FS) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-5
4. Paola Artiga (UNLV) def. Galina Bykova (FS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
5. Cristina Moroi (UNLV) def. Anneka Watts (FS) 6-2, 6-3
6. Sofya Malysheva (FS) vs. Iren Kotseva (UNLV) 3-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Mayar Sherif Ahmed/Rana Sherif Ahmed (FS) vs. Carol Yang/Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) 2-4, unfinished
2. Sophie Watts/Anneka Watts (FS) def. Anna Bogoslavets/Cristina Moroi (UNLV) 6-2
3. Sofya Malysheva/Olivia Noble (FS) def. Iren Kotseva/Paola Artiga (UNLV) 6-3
Match Notes:
UNLV 24-1, 5-1 Fresno State 19-9, 4-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,1,3,4,5)
2016 Mountain West Women's Tennis Championship
Match No. 1 Fresno State vs. No. 3 UNLV
T-4:08 A-168
Players Mentioned
