April 16, 2004

WACO, Texas - Collegiate women's tennis can't get any more exciting and dramatic than the match that Baylor and Oklahoma played at the Baylor Tennis Center on Friday night. Oklahoma won on a tiebreaker on court two to squeak by Baylor 4-3.

The win raised the 18th-ranked Sooners' record to 16-3 and 5-2 in the Big 12 while Baylor, ranked No. 43, is now 10-10 overall and 6-3 in the league.

In both doubles and singles the outcome wasn't decided until the last match.

The two teams dueled right to the end before the outcome of the doubles point was decided. OU's Bethany Griffin and Gabby Baker quickly defeated Zuzana Krchnakova and Izabela Mijic at No. 3, 8-3. On court two, Baylor's Klara Zrustova and Daniela Covello trailed 6-4 but rallied and took four straight games to claim an 8-6 win and even the doubles at one each. At the top spot, Baylor's Carolin Walter and Daria Potapova led 7-5 but the Sooner tandem of Anda Perianu and Heather Saluri won four straight games to eek out a 9-7 victory and clinch the doubles point for Oklahonma

As it was in doubles, the match was tied 3-3 with Baylor's Daniela Covello and OU's Irina Lykina still playing on court two. To open singles play, Baylor evened the contest at 1-1 when Iva Mihaylova won in straight sets at No. 5 then went up 2-1 with another straight sets win by Klara Zrustova at No. 4. The Sooners gained the advantage back when they posted wins at No. 3 and No. 1. After losing the first set 6-4 at No. 6, BU's Zuzana Krchnakova rallied and won the next two in convincing style, 6-2, 6-1. That evened the match at 3-3. Covello and Lykina split the first two sets and dueled to a 6-6 tie in the third set but Likina won the tiebreaker to salvage the victory for the Sooners.

Baylor will host Oklahoma State on Saturday, April 17 at 2 p.m. at the Baylor Tennis Center. It is the Lady Bears' last home match of the season.

#18 Oklahoma 4, #43 Baylor University 3

Doubles
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
1. Perianu/Saluri (OU) def. Walter/Potapova (BU) 9-7
2. Zrustova/Covello (BU) def. Braver/Lykina (OU) 8-6
3. Bethany Griffin/Baker (OU) def. Krchnakova/Izabela Mijic (BU) 8-3

Singles
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, 6, 2

1. #5 Anda Perianu (OU) def. #41 Carolin Walter (BU) 7-6(3), 6-4
2. Irina Lykina (OU) def. Daniela Covello (BU) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(0)
3. Gabby Baker (OU) def. Daria Potapova (BU) 7-5, 6-3
4. Klara Zrustova (BU) def. Heather Saluri (OU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Iva Mihaylova (BU) def. Jessica Braver (OU) 6-0, 6-3
6. Zuzana Krchnakova (BU) def. Joi-Lee Beachler (OU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1