March 28, 2002
SAN DIEGO - The 29th-ranked San Diego State women's tennis team took sole possession of first place in the Mountain West Conference with a 4-3 victory over 15th-ranked UNLV on Thursday afternoon at the SDSU Courts.
The Aztecs won for the fifth-straight time and have now won nine consecutive regular-season conference matches dating back to last season. San Diego State is 10-6 overall and 3-0 in Mountain West Conference play while the Rebels fell to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in league action.
"This was a great team effort against a highly-ranked conference opponent," head coach Peter Mattera said. "We played with a lot of confidence and did a good job of winning the big point. I really thought we were in every match, even the matches we did not win."
San Diego State claimed the doubles point by sweeping all three doubles matches. In number one doubles, the duo of Katalina Romero and Katja Karrento won their fifth-straight match and improved to 12-4 in the dual campaign with an 8-5 victory over Paulina Janus and Angniezka Abram.
The Rebels tied the match with a victory in number two singles. UNLV's Gyorgyi Zsiros, ranked 88th nationally, posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Lindsey Hedberg.
The tie was short lived as the Aztecs received victories at numbers one and six. San Diego State's Silvia Tornier defeated 71st-ranked Paulina Janus at number one singles, 6-2, 6-2. It was the fifth victory in a row for the Aztec and the fourth time that Tornier has posted a win over a ranked opponent.
At number six singles, Julie Anna Chidley claimed the Aztecs' third point with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Amy Hadziosmanovic.
"Tornier and Chidley both defeated quality opponents," Mattera said. "Winning quickly like they did gave everyone on our team an added lift."
San Diego State sealed the victory when Katey Clark-Becker disposed of Marianne Bakken, 6-4, 6-3.
The Rebels closed the gap by winning third-set, 10-point supertiebreakers in number three and four singles to provide the final margin.
The Aztecs are back in action tomorrow at SDSU Courts when San Diego State battles Wyoming. Match time is set for 2 p.m.
No. 29 San Diego State 4, No. 15 UNLV 3
Doubles (SDSU wins point)
No. 1 - Katja Karrento/Katalina Romero (SDSU) def. Paulina Janus/Agnieszka Abram (UNLV) - 8-5
No. 2 - Silvia Tornier/Indra Erichsen (SDSU) def. Marianne Bakken/Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV) - 8-5
No. 3 - Julie Anna Chidley/Lindsey Hedberg (SDSU) def. Tracie Chong/Amy Hadziosmanovic (UNLV) - 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
No. 1 - Silvia Tornier (SDSU) def. No. 71 Paulina Janus (UNLV) - 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 - No. 88 Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV) def. Lindsey Hedberg (SDSU) - 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 - Agnieszka Abram (UNLV) def. Katja Karrento (SDSU) - 6-4, 4-6, (10-7)
No. 4 - Tracie Chong (UNLV) def. Katalina Romero (SDSU) - 6-4, 5-7, (10-7)
No. 5 - Katey Clark-Becker (SDSU) def. Marianne Bakken (UNLV) - 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 - Julie Anna Chidley (SDSU) def. Amy Hadziosmanovic (UNLV) - 6-1, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 6, 5, 4, 3
Clinched Match: 5
Time of Match: 3:34
Records: SDSU (10-6/3-0 MWC), UNLV (13-3/2-1 MWC).