Feb. 11, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina women’s tennis team recorded a 5-2 victory against Winthrop on Wednesday to improve to 5-2 while the Eagles dropped to 2-3.
In doubles, the Gamecocks picked up victories at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles to move ahead 1-0 heading to singles. Ashley Miller and Gira Schofield teamed up at three to win 8-1 versus Sara Abutovic and Paula Pereira, and it was Natasa Vuckovic and Ana Marija Zubori dispatching Patricia Coimbra and Elizaveta Zaytseva 8-3 at the top slot to clinch the point.
The Eagles managed to avoid a sweep in doubles thanks to Sandra Herrera and Lisa Wilkinson’s 8-6 win over Miljana Jocic and Suzanna Mansour on court two.
Vuckovic scored South Carolina’s next point at three singles, upending Abutovic 6-0, 6-1. Schofield finished quickly afterward against Zaytseva, winning 6-2, 6-0 to make the score 3-0 in favor of the Gamecocks. It marked the 13th consecutive win for Schofield dating back to the fall campaign.
Before the Gamecocks earned the victory, Winthrop snagged a win at the No. 4 singles spot where Herrera won in straight sets against Mansour 6-3, 6-2.
Zubori won the clinching match for South Carolina at the second spot, beating Coimbra 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2 to improve to 15-2 on the season and 7-0 in dual matches.
In the remaining two matches, Jocic wasted no time taking care of Pereira on court six, winning 12 straight games for a 6-0, 6-0 triumph. At five, Miller trailed 3-1 in the first set against Wilkinson before coming back to win 6-4. After Wilkinson won the second 6-1, the two played a super tiebreaker that Wilkinson claimed 10-5.
The Gamecocks return to action Sunday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Clemson to play the No. 12 Tigers at 2 p.m.
#31 South Carolina (5-2) def. Winthrop (2-3), 5-2
Singles
1. #71 Gira Schofield, USC, def. Elizaveta Zaytseva, WU, 6-2, 6-0
2. #14 Ana Marija Zubori, USC, def. Patricia Coimbra, WU, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2
3. Natasa Vuckovic, USC, def. Sara Abutovic, WU, 6-0, 6-1
4. Sandra Herrera, WU, def. Suzanna Mansour, USC, 6-3, 6-2
5. Lisa Wilkinson, WU, def. Ashley Miller, USC, 4-6, 6-1, (10-5)
6. Miljana Jocic, USC, def. Paula Pereira, WU, 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 4, 2, 6, 5
Doubles
1. #33 Vuckovic/Zubori, USC, def. Coimbra/Zaytseva, WU, 8-3
2. Herrera/Wilkinson, WU, def. Jocic/Mansour, USC, 8-6
3. Miller/Schofield, USC, def. Abutovic/Pereira, WU, 8-1
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
