Women's Tennis Outlasts No. 8 Seed ECU at American Championships

Wednesday, April 18

Dallas, Texas

Noon

Tulane University

East Carolina

Photo by: Ben Solomon

Women's Tennis Outlasts No. 8 Seed ECU at American Championships

Apr 18, 2018 | Women's Tennis

LIVE SCORING | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

DALLAS - Seeded ninth in the 2018 American Athletic Conference Championships, the Tulane women's tennis team rallied back from a lost doubles point and a 3-1 deficit to upend No. 8 seed East Carolina in Wednesday's first round at the Crum Tennis Courts on SMU's campus.

The Green Wave (13-10) won their fifth straight match and advance to Thursday's quarterfinal round against top-seeded and 21st-ranked UCF (18-3). First serve is scheduled for noon at the Turpin Tennis Courts.

Fighting consistent wind gusts throughout the afternoon, Tulane gained some early momentum by striking first in doubles play, as junior Elena Muller and sophomore Ivone Alvaro outlasted ECU's (17-9) tandem, 6-3, at the No. 2 position. The Pirates responded with 6-3 victory of their own at the No. 1 spot, as the Green Wave held a 5-4 advantage at the No. 3 position. However, East Carolina would claim the final three games to claim a 7-5 win and clinch the doubles point.

The Green Wave did just enough to snatch back a large chunk of the momentum lost in doubles by claiming the first set on four singles courts. Playing in her hometown and in front of a handful of her closest family members, Muller kept the Wave's surge going by closing out her No. 5 singles match with ease, 6-3, 6-1 to tie up the overall match, 1-1.

The Pirates would respond however, earning wins on courts one and two in straight sets, respectively, to regain a 3-1 lead in the overall match while forcing a third set in all three of the remaining matches.

Tulane also trailed 3-1 the last time it faced off with ECU on March 17 in an indoor neutral site match in Memphis, but only had to win three singles matches after winning the doubles point. On this day, the Green Wave would have to bring the same resiliency and then some to battle through every pressure-packed point in the third set of each remaining match.

They proved to be up to the task as, one-by-one, the Wave pushed back. First, freshman Daniela La Fuente willed her way to a 6-1 victory in the third set on court four to cut the team's deficit to just one. Then, Alvaro bounced back to win, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, and tie it all up, 3-3.

Detached from courts one through five and facing a completely different direction, student-athletes from both sides, fans and families surrounded the court six where sophomore Christina Sisti had split sets, 6-3 and 3-6. Leading 3-1 after an early break, Hsia Ho Chiao broke back to tie it up, 3-3, before Sisti won the next game to take a one-game edge before switching sides. The battled raged on as they split the next two games, before Sisti, holding the 5-4 lead and tied at deuce in the pivotal 10th game, sent back multiple returns in the rally. Chiao hit a forehand long of the baseline with Sisti preparing a backhand return, as she let it pass and the Green Wave stormed the court to celebrate the clinching point.

Tulane 4, East Carolina 3

Singles competition
1. #75 Celia Ruiz (ECU) def. Sade Atkinson (TLN) 6-4, 6-2
2. Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Laura Fabrizi (TLN) 6-3, 6-3
3. Ivone Alvaro (TLN) def. Nastja Rettich (ECU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
4. Daniela La Fuente (TLN) def. Alisa Diercksen (ECU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
5. Elena Muller (TLN) def. Annija Veinsteina (ECU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Christina Sisti (TLN) def. Hsia Ho Chiao (ECU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Alisa Diercksen/Lisa Hofbauer (ECU) def. Sade Atkinson/Laura Fabrizi (TLN) 6-3
2. Elena Muller/Ivone Alvaro (TLN) def. Nastja Rettich/Hsia Ho Chiao (ECU) 6-3
3. Celia Ruiz/Annija Veinsteina (ECU) def. Daniela La Fuente/Sofia Kurtz (TLN) 7-5

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,2,1,4,3,6)