April 11, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — South Carolina’s 15th-ranked women’s tennis team (14-6, 7-3 SEC) suffered its sixth 4-3 loss of the season Sunday in Knoxville, Tenn., to No. 16 Tennessee (13-7, 7-3 SEC).

South Carolina was swept at all three doubles positions. UT’s Caitlin Whoriskey and Maria Sorbello won first at the top slot by an 8-1 score against Ana Marija Zubori and Dijana Stojic. Katie Lee and Kata Szekely posted the clinching victory for the Lady Vols on court three with an 8-4 decision over Anya Morgina and Adriana Pereira. Tennessee closed out the doubles with Rosalia Alda and Zsofia Zubor upending Miljana Jocic and Rita Maisak 8-4.

Whoriskey, ranked 11th in the nation, extended the lead to 2-0 for the Lady Vols with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Zubori at No. 1 singles. The next three matches, however, belonged to South Carolina to give the Gamecocks a 3-2 advantage with two matches left on court.

Pereira finished off Jennifer Meredith in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 on court five to give the Gamecocks their first point of the match. Pereira trailed 3-2 in the first set before winning four consecutive games and then got behind 4-3 in the second before running off three straight games for the victory. She is now 22-8 on the season and 14-3 in dual matches. Pereira also leads the team in SEC victories with a 9-1 record. The nine wins also ties the South Carolina record for regular-season SEC victories, a record also held by Zubori (2009) and Natasa Vuckovic (2007).

Madeleine Saari-Byström tied the match up at 2-all with her second straight-set triumph in a row by downing Katie Lee at No. 6 singles 6-4, 6-2. The win allowed Saari-Byström to move above .500 on the season with a 12-11 record and she is now 7-5 in duals and 3-3 in the SEC.

Stojic posted a win against No. 67 Sorbello at two singles, winning 7-5, 6-3 to snag her 20th win of the season and put the Gamecocks ahead 3-2. She leads the team in dual match victories with a 16-4 record and is 8-2 in the SEC.

Tennessee’s Zubor then won her match on court four versus Jocic, winning 6-2, 7-6(4). Jocic got down 2-0 in the second set but came back to take a 5-3 lead. Zubor then responded by winning the next three games before Jocic managed to push the set to a tiebreaker. In the breaker, Jocic moved ahead 4-1, but Zubor grinded out the next six points to take the match.

The final match on court three between Morgina and Alda ended up being the only three-set match of the afternoon. Alda won the first 6-3, while Morgina took the second by the same score. In the third, Alda went up 3-1, but Morgina came back to make it 3-all. Alda then had a 5-4 lead, but Morgina held serve to extend the match. Alda proceeded to hold serve and broke Morgina in the 12th game to lift the Lady Vols to victory.

South Carolina closes out the regular season Saturday hosting No. 4 Florida at 1 p.m. at Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center.

#16 Tennessee (13-7, 7-3 SEC) def. #15 South Carolina (14-6, 7-3 SEC), 4-3

Singles
1. #11 Caitlin Whoriskey, UT, def. #75 Ana Marija Zubori, USC, 6-2, 6-2
2. Dijana Stojic, USC, def. #67 Maria Sorbello, UT, 7-5, 6-3
3. Rosalia Alda, UT, def. #107 Anya Morgina, USC, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
4. Zsofia Zubor, UT, def. Miljana Jocic, USC, 6-2, 7-6(4)
5. Adriana Pereira, USC, def. Jennifer Meredith, UT, 6-3, 6-4
6. Madeleine Saari-Byström, USC, def. Katie Lee, UT, 6-4, 6-2

Order of Finish: 1, 5, 6, 2, 4, 3

Doubles
1. #66 Sorbello/Whoriskey, UT, def. #24 Stojic/Zubori, USC, 8-1
2. #22 Alda/Zubor, UT, def. Jocic/Rita Maisak, USC, 8-4
3. Lee/Kata Szekely, UT, def. Morgina/Pereira, USC, 8-4

Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2