SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women's tennis outlasted Fresno State on senior day at the Aztec Tennis Center on Sunday morning, 4-2. The Aztecs earned the doubles point before winning three singles matches to clinch the match.
In doubles play, the Aztecs (13-6, 6-2 MW) battled with the Bulldogs (9-11, 3-5 MW) for the point. The Aztecs utilized a different lineup from match against UNLV on Friday, as Alicia Melosch and Dariya Detkovskaya teamed up on court one, Andjela Skrobonja and Rania Azziz paired up on court two, and Tamara Arnold and Andreea Velcea played together on court three. The pairings on court two and three then dominated their Fresno State opponents, and only dropped one game between the two courts. Azziz and Skrobonja earned a 6-1 win on court two before Arnold and Velcea earned the Aztecs the doubles point in spectacular fashion, 6-0.
After dominating in doubles play and taking a 1-0 lead, the Aztecs looked to carry that momentum into singles play. Two seniors who participated in senior day festivities before the match, Arnold and Melosch, came out strongly in singles play. Both seniors won in straight sets to give the Aztecs a 3-0 advantage. Arnold won her match on court two in strong fashion, only dropping a total of two games, enroute to a 6-2, 6-0 win in her match, which put the Aztecs up 2-0. Melosch followed in quick fashion on court three, winning her match by identical set scores, 6-2, 6-2, putting the Aztecs up 3-0 with four matches left to play.
Elsewhere, the Aztecs had to go to a decisive third set on the four remaining courts. After dropping the first set 4-6, Azziz battled back in her second set on court four, and earned a 6-2 win to force a third set. In that third set she fell 6-3, and the Bulldogs cut into the Aztecs lead, making it 3-1 with three matches left. Velcea on court six fared the same for the Aztecs, she dropped her first set, before responded in the second with a 6-2 win, but could not clinch the match for the Aztecs, as she dropped her third set 6-4, and it was a 3-2 match with two courts remaining.
In a fitting ending to senior day, it was senior Cecile Morin who clinched the win for SDSU. Morin dropped her first set 2-6, and like Azziz and Velcea earned a second set win, 6-3. In her final set the senior clinched the 4-2 win for the Aztecs, as she earned a 6-3 win in the set.
Up Next: The Aztecs hit the road for one last road trip when they play San Jose State and Nevada on Friday and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. PT in Las Vegas, Nevada.
No. 42 SDSU 4, No. 67 Fresno State 2.
Singles Competition
1. Andjela Skrobonja (SDSU) vs. Yinglak Jittakoat (FSU), 3-6, 7-5, 4-5, unfinished.
2. Tamara Arnold (SDSU) def. Matilde Magrini (FSU), 6-2, 6-0.
3. Alicia Melosch (SDSU) def. Cristina Flaquer, 6-2, 6-2.
4. Carolina Piferi (FSU) def. Rania Azziz (SDSU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
5. Cecile Morin (SDSU), def. Mariia Vyshkina (FSU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
6. Carlotta Marzano (FSU) def. Andreea Velcea (SDSU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
Order of finish: 2,3,4,6,5*
Doubles Competition
1. Melosch/Detkovskatya (SDSU) def. Jittakoat/Piferi (FSU), 4-2, unfinished.
2. Skrobonja/Azziz (SDSU), def. Safi/Serna (FSU) 6-1.
3. Arnold/Velcea (SDSU), def. Flaquer/Marzano (FSU), 6-0.
Order of finish:, 2,3*
*clinch