Houston tennis splits season opening double-header

Photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 21, 2017) The Houston Cougars kicked off their 2017 spring season on January 21, 2017 at the Barbara Winston Tennis Facility, The Cougars faced in-state opponents University of Texas at Arlington and Prairie View A&MUniversity. Houston dropped the first match of their double-header Saturday by the score of 4-2 against the Mavericks. Houston dropped the doubles point when Tsveta Dimitrova and Lauren Alter fell to Agustina Serio and Angeles de los Rios by the score of 6-0. The Houston pair of Sveva Mazzari and Constandena Nicolaou also dropped their doubles match 6-3 to Anna Wichert and Astrid Gehre. In singles competition, Nicolaou beat Lopez 6-2, 6-4 while Cristina Rovira downed Jessica Birrowski 6-4, 7-5 for Houston’s only points. UTA’s Serio defeated Alter 6-1, 6-0 while Houston’s Ana Glumac fell in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, to Wichert. Gehre beat Houston’s Mazzari 4-6, 6-4, 5-3 to clinch the win.

In their second match of the double-header, the Cougars swept Prairie View A&M 4-0. Dimitrova and Alter were paired up again, beating Neharika Rama and Shaddae Findley 6-1. Mazzari and Rovira rebounded to down Timara Maxwell and Trinity Randolph 6-1 to win the doubles competition

Rovira extended Houston's lead with a straight-set victory over Stacey Lackey, dropping just one game in route to winning 6-1, 6-0. On court five, Nicolaou posted the same score over Maxwell, winning Houston's third point with a 6-1, 6-0 victory. With the Cougars ahead on the remaining three courts, it was Mazzari who wrapped up the win with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Thomas.

Next up for the Cougars will be a Saturday, January 28 match against Abilene Christian at 2 p.m. CST. Also on that day, Houston will officially dedicate the Barbara Wallace Winston Tennis Facility as part of a pre-match ceremony.