COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 20 Sun Devil women's tennis team (5-3, 0-0 Pac-12) nearly pulled off the road upset at No. 14 Ohio State (5-1, 1-0 Big Ten) Saturday, but came up short as the match ended 4-3.
The 15th-ranked duo in the NCAA, Anna Sanford and Shiori Fukuda of Ohio State proved too much for Nicole Fossa Huergo and Tereza Kolarova on court one as they fell to the Buckeyes 6-2.
On court two, the Devils' lone undefeated tandem of Ilze Hattingh and Lauryn John-Baptiste were rolling against Sneed/Hurley, up 5-1 before the match was suspended because Wolf/DeCoste finished Slaysman/Klanecek 6-2 on court three.
If Hattingh/John-Baptiste would have finished before the court three match, it would have been the tandem's ninth-straight win, but the Sun Devil newcomers will still retain their unblemished doubles record as the calendar turns into March.
Singles play saw ASU nearly comeback and take the match with wins on courts four, five and six.
"We struggled in the doubles but I was pleased with how we responded in singles," McInerney said. "Unfortunately we couldn't quite finish that last match. I give a lot of credit to Ohio State."
Hattingh's defeat on court two put the Devils in a 2-0 hole, but like clockwork, Sasa Klanecek put the Devils on the board, extending her unbeaten run to nine matches. She moved up to court five Sunday, but the result was the same as she handled Emma DeCoste in straight-sets, 6-1, 6-4.
The Devils then tied the match at two thanks to a win from No. 107 Savannah Slaysman on court four. She won the first set easily, 6-1, but Mary Beth Hurley battled back to push the second set to a tiebreak. Slaysman still came away with the sweep as she won the tiebreak 7-6(5).
No. 84 John-Baptiste's loss on court one made it 3-2 in favor of the hosts, but Kolarova came back from down a set to win her match on court six and tie it once again at 3 apiece.
The match came down to court three where Nicole Fossa Huergo was taking on No. 72 Olivia Sneed.
The Sun Devil senior took the first set, but Sneed didn't roll over in the second. The 72nd-ranked Buckeye battled back to even the match at a set each, then won outright in the third to clinch the dual-match for Ohio State.
The Devils will look to end their two-match slide next weekend as they host San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara at the Whiteman Tennis Center.
No. 22 Arizona State: 3
No. 14 Ohio State: 4
Doubles
1. #15 Anna Sanford/Shiori Fukuda (OSU) def. Tereza Kolarova/Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) 6-2
2. Olivia Sneed/Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) vs. Lauryn John-Baptiste/IIze Hattingh (ASU) 1-5, unf.
3. Danielle Wolf/Emma DeCoste (OSU) def. Savannah Slaysman/Sasa Klanecek (ASU) 6-2
Singles
1. Anna Sanford (OSU) def. #84 Lauryn John-Baptiste (ASU) 6-4, 6-3
2. #64 Shiori Fukuda (OSU) def. IIze Hattingh (ASU) 6-3, 6-3
3. #72 Olivia Sneed (OSU) def. Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
4. #107 Savannah Slaysman (ASU) def. Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Sasa Klanecek (ASU) def. Emma DeCoste (OSU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Tereza Kolarova (ASU) def. Danielle Wolf (OSU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Order of finish:
Doubles (3,1)
Singles (2,5,4,1,6,3)
"This one came down to the wire, so needless to say it is a painful loss but it was a really good match," coach Sheila McInerney said.
ASU couldn't get off to the fast start it has been accustomed to this season as Ohio State stole the doubles point from the Devils. It was only the first time this season that the Sun Devils had gone into singles play without the lead.The 15th-ranked duo in the NCAA, Anna Sanford and Shiori Fukuda of Ohio State proved too much for Nicole Fossa Huergo and Tereza Kolarova on court one as they fell to the Buckeyes 6-2.
On court two, the Devils' lone undefeated tandem of Ilze Hattingh and Lauryn John-Baptiste were rolling against Sneed/Hurley, up 5-1 before the match was suspended because Wolf/DeCoste finished Slaysman/Klanecek 6-2 on court three.
If Hattingh/John-Baptiste would have finished before the court three match, it would have been the tandem's ninth-straight win, but the Sun Devil newcomers will still retain their unblemished doubles record as the calendar turns into March.
Singles play saw ASU nearly comeback and take the match with wins on courts four, five and six.
"We struggled in the doubles but I was pleased with how we responded in singles," McInerney said. "Unfortunately we couldn't quite finish that last match. I give a lot of credit to Ohio State."
Hattingh's defeat on court two put the Devils in a 2-0 hole, but like clockwork, Sasa Klanecek put the Devils on the board, extending her unbeaten run to nine matches. She moved up to court five Sunday, but the result was the same as she handled Emma DeCoste in straight-sets, 6-1, 6-4.
The Devils then tied the match at two thanks to a win from No. 107 Savannah Slaysman on court four. She won the first set easily, 6-1, but Mary Beth Hurley battled back to push the second set to a tiebreak. Slaysman still came away with the sweep as she won the tiebreak 7-6(5).
No. 84 John-Baptiste's loss on court one made it 3-2 in favor of the hosts, but Kolarova came back from down a set to win her match on court six and tie it once again at 3 apiece.
The match came down to court three where Nicole Fossa Huergo was taking on No. 72 Olivia Sneed.
The Sun Devil senior took the first set, but Sneed didn't roll over in the second. The 72nd-ranked Buckeye battled back to even the match at a set each, then won outright in the third to clinch the dual-match for Ohio State.
The Devils will look to end their two-match slide next weekend as they host San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara at the Whiteman Tennis Center.
No. 22 Arizona State: 3
No. 14 Ohio State: 4
Doubles
1. #15 Anna Sanford/Shiori Fukuda (OSU) def. Tereza Kolarova/Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) 6-2
2. Olivia Sneed/Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) vs. Lauryn John-Baptiste/IIze Hattingh (ASU) 1-5, unf.
3. Danielle Wolf/Emma DeCoste (OSU) def. Savannah Slaysman/Sasa Klanecek (ASU) 6-2
Singles
1. Anna Sanford (OSU) def. #84 Lauryn John-Baptiste (ASU) 6-4, 6-3
2. #64 Shiori Fukuda (OSU) def. IIze Hattingh (ASU) 6-3, 6-3
3. #72 Olivia Sneed (OSU) def. Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
4. #107 Savannah Slaysman (ASU) def. Mary Beth Hurley (OSU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Sasa Klanecek (ASU) def. Emma DeCoste (OSU) 6-1, 6-4
6. Tereza Kolarova (ASU) def. Danielle Wolf (OSU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Order of finish:
Doubles (3,1)
Singles (2,5,4,1,6,3)