The Middle Tennessee Women’s tennis team was in Knoxville this past weekend to take on the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Though they fought hard, the Blue Raiders fell in both matches after winning their first two of the season.
In their match-up with the Vols on Saturday, UT opened the match by taking the No. 1 and 3 doubles matches. MT’s Sarah Sediri and Josefina Zehnder failed to scratch the scoreboard as they were defeated by Vol standouts Brittany Lindl and and Eva Repic, by a score of 6-0. MT’s Holly Horsefall and Peris Herrero put up a good fight in the No. 3 match, but they were ultimately defeated by UT’s Kim Kermit and Ariadne Riley 6-2.
Their luck didn’t improve much in singles competition as Tennessee won the first three matches in straight sets to take the match. Lindl, the 64th-ranked singles player in the country, defeated Zehnder 6-1, 6-1. Tennessee’s Sadie Hammond defeated Lidia Burrows 6-2, 6-3, and Riley closed the match for the Volunteers when she defeated Sediri 6-1, 6-1, giving UT the 4-0 win.
Both Luisa Zirilli and Herrero b0th fought to get their matches to the third set for Middle Tennessee, but they ultimately went unfinished.
The Blue Raiders were back in action Sunday afternoon when they took on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. In doubles action, Burrows and Constanza Magazzini took a 6-2 victory over Wake Forest’s Courtney Meredith and Luisa Fernandez in the No.3 doubles match, but MTSU dropped the No. 1 and 2 matches 6-2 and 6-4, respectively.
Middle Tennessee experienced more troubles in the singles competitions, as the Demon Deacons took the No. 2, 3 and 4 matches to get the victory. Match No. 2 saw Emma Davis defeat Sediri in straight sets by scores of 6-0 and 6-3. Anna Ulyashchenko took down Magazzini in match No. 3 in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-1. The Demon Deacons closed the match with Chandler Carter’s victory over Zirilli, as Carter won 6-1, 6-1.
Burrows, Herrero and Horsefall all fought in their matches, but each went unfinished.
The Blue Raiders will return home and hit the practice courts for a couple weeks before welcoming Western Kentucky and UT-Martin to town on Saturday, February 4. The first match is set for 10 a.m.
Follow MTSU Women’s Tennis beat writers Tyler Lamb (@Tlamb35) and Rusty Ellis (@RustyEllis13) on Twitter for more coverage.
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