Story by Adam Redfern
Staff writer
aredfern@murraystate.edu
Murray State’s women’s tennis team closed off its fall season with the MSU Invitational on Oct. 6-7.
The Racers opened the last tournament of the fall season by winning all three of their doubles matches.
Junior Claire Chang and senior Jeanne Masson won 6-2. Senior Amina Hadzic and junior Sara Loncarevic followed suit winning 6-2. The final win came from junior Staysa Sharapova and junior Anja Loncarevic 6-0.
After the first doubles round, the tournament moved into the singles portion where Murray State split on the first day by winning three matches and losing three.
Chang had to retire in her first singles set and did not play another singles match in the tournament.
Caetano praised his team for above average conditioning and mental toughness throughout the tournament.
“Fall seasons are always tough, very very physical,” said Head Coach Jorge Caetano. “You play three or four matches in the same day, so you have to be in good shape and they were this weekend.”
The second day saw the Racers dropping two of their three doubles matches, with Sharapova and Ajna winning the only match 6-1.
Murray State improved on its second day of singles, winning the majority of the matches.
Sharapova was a bright spot for the Racers when she went undefeated in both singles and doubles for the tournament, and she did not drop a tiebreaker for the entirety of the fall season.
“Every tiebreaker I played this fall, I won,” Sharapova said. “But we still have to work on everything and get better and better.”
Murray State has finished all of their tournaments for the fall and will now prepare for the spring season.
Doubles Round 1
Arroyo/Humphreys (UNA) def. Sheldon/Plaksina (BU), UNA 6-4
Sharapova/A. Loncarevic (MSU) def. Lee/Hawkins (BU), MSU 6-0
Hadzic/S. Loncarevic (MSU) def. Hernandez/Humphrey (CU), MSU 6-2
Allen/Carelli (BU) def. Linke/Flesch (UNA), BU 7-5
Masson/Chang (MSU) def. Johnson/Brackin (BU), MSU 6-2
Landi/Navaratnam (CU) def. DeGeorge/Sickle (UNA), CU 6-2
Singles Round 1
Ainhoa Garrido (CU) def. Nina Linke (UNA), CU 7-5, 7-5
Stasya Sharapova (MSU) def. Jessica Hernandez (CU), MSU 6-4,4-6, 10-6
Drew Hawkins (BU)def. Claire Chang (MSU), BU 7-5, Retired
Erin Allen (BU) def. Claudia Arroyo (UNA), BU 6-4, 6-0
Mical Johnson (BU) def.Jeanne Masson (MSU), BU 7-5, 0-6,10-7
Maria Plaksina (BU) def. Claire DeGeorge (UNA), BU 6-4, 6-1
Elise Sickle (UNA) def. Stefanie Navaratnam (CU), UNA 6-2, 6-0
Nicole Christiansen (BU) def. Kylie Humphrey (CU), BU 6-2, 6-1
Amina Hadzic (MSU) def. Lauren Carelli (BU), MSU 6-3, 6-7, 10-7
Sydney Flesch (UNA) def. Anja Loncarevic (MSU), UNA 3-6, 6-3,10-8
Terra Sheldon (BU) def. Megan Humphreys (UNA), BU 6-4, 6-3
Sarah Brackin (BU) def. Marianela Landi (CU) BU 6-2, 6-0
Sara Loncarevic (MSU) def. Peyton Lee (BU), MSU 6-4, 7-6
Doubles Round 2
Allen/Carelli (BU) def. Masson/Chang (MSU) 6-4
Johnson/Brackin (BU) DeGeorge/Sickle (UNA) 7-6 (11-9)
Linke/Flesch (UNA) def. Landi/Navaratnam (CU) 6-4
Lee/Hawkins (BU) def. Hernandez/Humphrey (CU) 6-1
Sheldon/Plaksina (BU) def. Hadzic/S. Loncarevic (MSU) 6-3
Sharapova/A. Loncarevic (MSU) def. Arroyo/Humphreys (UNA) 6-1
Singles Round 2
Kylie Humphrey (CU) def. Claire DeGeorge (UNA) 6-1, 2-6, (10-8)
Ainhoa Garrido (CU) vs Claire Chang (MSU) DNP
Jeanne Masson (MSU) def. Maria Plaksina (BU) 7-5, 4-6, (10-5)
Nicole Christiansen (BU) def. Stefanie Navaratnam (CU) 6-0, 6-0
Claudia Arroyo (UNA) def. Jessica Hernandez (CU) 6-1, 7-5
Stasya Sharapova (MSU) vs Erin Allen (BU)
Elise Sicke (UNA) def. Mical Johnson (BU) 6-2, 2-6, (10-7)
Drew Hawkins (BU) vs Nina Linke (UNA)
Sara Loncarevic (MSU) def. Marianela Landi (CU) 6-2,6-2
Peyton Lee (BU) def. Sydney Flesch (UNA) 7-5, 3-6, (10-5)
Sarah Brackin (BU) def. Amina Hadzic (MSU) 7-6 (11-9), 2-6, (10-6)
Anja Loncarevic (MSU) def. Terra Sheldon (BU) 6-1, 4-6, (10-8)
Megan Humphreys (UNA) def. Lauren Carelli (BU) 6-3, 6-4
Singles Round 3
Jeanne Masson (MSU) def. Elise Sickle (UNA) 6-3, 6-3
Maria Plaksina (BU) def. Kylie Humphrey (CU) 6-3, 6-2
Nicole Christiansen (BU) def. Claire DeGeorge (UNA) 6-0, 3-6, (14-12)
Mical Johnson (BU) def. Stefanie Navaratnam (CU) 5-7, 6-1, (10-6)
Claire Chang (MSU) vs Claudia Arroyo (UNA) DNP
Erin Allen (BU) def. Ainhoa Garrido (CU) 0-6, 6-1, (10-4)
Jessica Hernandez (CU) vs Drew Hawkins (BU)
Stasya Sharapova (MSU) def. Nina Linke (UNA) 2-6, 7-5, (15-13)
Amina Hadzic (MSU) def. Sydney Flesch (UNA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
Peyton Lee (BU) vs Anja Loncarevic (MSU)
Sarah Brackin (BU) def. Megan Humphreys (UNA) 6-1, 6-4
Marianela Landi (CU) vs Terra Sheldon (BU)
Lauren Carelli (BU) vs Sara Loncarevic (MSU)
MSU – Murray State
BU – Belmont
CU – Cumberland
UNA – North Alabama