Story by Adam Redfern
Staff writer
aredfern@murraystate.edu
The Murray State tennis team dropped its first game of the year on Friday, Feb. 8, against Lipscomb University.
The Racers lost a 5-2 match, but don’t let the final score deceive you; most of the games finished relatively close.
To start the day in doubles, junior Claire Chang and senior Jeanne Masson played in one of the few matches that was not close, losing 6-1. Sophomore Stasya Sharapova and junior Anja Loncarevic lost in a tough 7-5 match. Senior Amina Hadzic and junior Sara Loncarevic won the only doubles match for the Racers at 6-3.
After Lipscomb took the doubles point, the Racers would need a strong singles outing in order to win the match. However Lipscomb would put out a strong performance by winning four of the six singles matches.
The top four singles players for the Racers dropped their matches. Chang returned to the first singles spot in play against the Bisons, but she lost 1-6, 6-2, 6-0. Anja Loncarevic’s match followed the same route as Chang’s, with her losing the first 3-6, winning the second 6-3, but losing the third 1-6.
Sharapova would drop her match as well, losing 2-6, 0-6, followed by a closer 3-6, 1-6 loss from sophomore Aarja Chakraborty.
Hadzic and Sara Loncarevic continued to be the bright spot on the day when they both won their singles matches. Hadzic won a tight 7-6, 6-1 match, and Sara Loncarevic would pull away from her opponent winning 6-2, 6-0.
The Racers will pack their bags and hit the road for the first time this season with a short trip to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Sunday, Feb. 10, to play Middle Tennessee.