The No. 31 University of Arizona women’s tennis team (16-7, 6-3 in Big 12) beat No. 35 ASU (11-7) in a tight 4-3 victory on Saturday, March 29, at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center.
The Wildcats set the tone early in doubles play with junior Danielle Tuhten and sophomore Josie Usereau, who clinched a 7-5 victory over Sun Devils Karin Altori and Patricija Spaka on court 1. Tuhten and Usereau have had a solid run together this season, with their overall record on doubles being 6-2.
No. 47 Usereau has had a tremendous season, going 12-6 in singles with 13.58 points.
The Sun Devils kept the pressure on the Wildcats throughout the match as they claimed victories in singles on courts 1, 2 and 4. The Sun Devils struck first with No. 49 Sara Svetac defeating Usereau 6-2, 6-4 on court 1, followed by Lily Taylor’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over Tuhten on court 4. No. 33 Emilija Tverijonaite added another point for ASU with a comeback win against Martyna Ostrzygalo, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, on court 2.
However, these wins wouldn’t be enough for the Sun Devils to prevail, as Arizona secured wins on courts 3, 5 and 6. Midori Castillo-Meza delivered a strong performance on court 3, defeating Spaka 6-3, 6-4. Zoya Chulak then mounted a comeback on court 6, overcoming a tough first-set loss to beat Aiya Nupbay 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Finally, in the decisive match on court 5, Tucson native Tanvi Narendran fought back after losing the first set, battling through a tense three-set match to defeat Altori 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, securing the win for Arizona.
History
This victory is significant for Arizona in the context of the historic rivalry with ASU because it marks a rare and hard-fought win in a series where the Wildcats have struggled overall. With an all-time record of 13 wins to 35 losses against ASU, this victory breaks a long streak of challenges in their matchups.
Arizona had endured a nine-match losing streak from 2015 to 2024, which further adds to the importance of this win.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats will continue conference play while hosting No. 35 Baylor University at noon on Friday, April 4, at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center. Following that, Arizona will also be hosting No. 46 TCU on Sunday, April 6, at noon.
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