May 1, 2004
NORMAN, Okla. - Women's Tennis Loses In Big 12 Semifinals Baylor drops 4-2 decision to Texas.
The Baylor women's tennis team fought to the finish before finally falling to 10th-ranked Texas, 4-2, in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tennis Championships at the Headington Family Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon.
Baylor now awaits the NCAA Tennis Championships Selection Show on Wed., Dec. 5 at 3:30 p.m. (Central Time). The team will meet at Damon's in Waco to view the show, the public is invited to join the team. The 41st-ranked Bears are 13-11 on the season while Texas moves to 22-4.
Under cold and windy conditions, the Lady Bears fought to the end against Texas in doubles before the Longhorns claimed the point. At No. 1 BU's Carolin Walter and Daria Potapova upset 35th-ranked Kendra Strohm and Katie Ruckert, 8-5. Texas evened the doubles with a victory at No. 3 when Kelly Baritot and Ristine Olson claimed an 8-3 win over Iva Mihaylova and Stephanie Balzert. In the deciding match for the doubles point, Baylor's tandem of Daniela Covello and Klara Zrustova were down 7-2 and Texas' Petra Dizdar and Mia Marovic were at set point. The Baylor duo held the Longhorns off and claimed the next three games to put the match at 7-5. However, the Longhorn tandem won the next claim to earn the doubles point for Texas.
Texas entered the singles needing to win three matches but the Bears just wouldn't give up. Texas' Baritot gave the Longhorns their second point when she defeated Krchnakova in straight sets at No. 5. Next, freshman Klara Zrustova put the Bears on the scoreboard with a win at No. 4 over Strom. Ruckert, ranked No. 122 posted a straight sets win over Potapova at No. 2 before Baylor's Mihaylova made the score 3-2 with a three-set win over Olson at No. 6. At this time courts one and three were still battling it out. The most dramatic and exciting match of the day ultimately decided the outcome, court No. 3. Texas' Marovic win the first set 6-3 but BU's Covello rallied to take the second 6-4. In the third set Covello trailed 5-0 and was one point from elimination before she came storming back and won the next five games to even the match. However, Marovic took the final two games to secure the victory for the Longhorns.
#10 Texas: 4, #41 Baylor 2
Singles
Order of finish: 5, 4, 2, 6, 3
1. #48 Carolin Walter (BU) vs. #19 Petra Dizdar (UT) DNF
2. #122 Katie Rickert (UT) def. Daria Potapova (BU) 7-5, 6-3
3. Mia Maraovic (UT) def. Daniela Covello (BU) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
4. Klara Zrustova (BU) def. Kendra Strohm (UT) 7-6 (5), 6-4
5. Kelly Baritot (UT) def. Zuzana Krchnakova (BU) 6-2, 7-5
6. Iva Mihaylova (BU) def. Ristine Olson (UT) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
1. Walter/Potapova (BU) def. #35 Ruckert/Strohm (UT), 8-5
2. Dizdar/Marovic (UT) def. Zrustova/Covello (BU) 8-5
3. Baritot/Olson (UT) def. Stephanie Balzert/Mihaylova (BU) 8-3
Records:
#41 Baylor - 13-11
#10 Texas - 22-4
