May 11, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. - With the temperatures reaching into the 90's, the Arizona State women's tennis team stormed back from a 0-2 deficit to take four straight singles matches, all in straight sets, to defeat Fresno State, 4-2, Sunday at the Whiteman Tennis Center. The Sun Devils will now advance on to their seventh consecutive Round of 16 appearance in Gainesville, Fla., where they will play host and No. 2 seed Florida on Thursday, May 15. Arizona State's record improves to 11-10, while Fresno State's season closes at 17-8.
To open the second round of action, Fresno State won two of the three doubles matches for the first point. ASU won he first doubles on court No. 3 when Joslynn Burkett and Megan Yeats defeated Vlatka Jovanovic and Kristy McRae, 8-3. But the Bulldogs came back to take the next two matches, including an exciting 9-7 clinching victory on the No. 2 court.
In singles play, FSU took any early 2-0 lead when McRae easily defeated Burkett on the No. 6 court, 6-1, 6-0. However, that was all Fresno State would gain as Arizona State quickly tied the dual up at 2-2. Dora Krstulovic posted ASU's first point when she handled Lucia Tallo, 6-2, 6-3, while Cindy Sureephong followed with the identical score on court No. 4 over Jovanovic.
ASU's Mhairi Brown then pulled the Devils ahead 3-2 when she won in straight sets on the No. 3 court over Lucia Sainz, 6-2, 7-5. The match then turned to court No. 5 where ASU's Lauren Colalillo was battling Kathrin Winterhalter in the second set. After winning the first set, 6-3, Colalillo was up 4-3 in the second, but Winterhalter came back to tie the set a 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. Colalillo then made several strong forehand shots and took a quick lead and eventually went on to a 7-2 tiebreaker win, as well as clinching the match for Arizona State.
On court No. 1 it was a battle between the No. 7 ranked player in the nation, Adria Engel and the countries No. 8 player, Chloe Carlotti. The two top players battled through a first set tiebreaker, before Carlotti pulled out the set and was leading 4-1 in the second when the match was halted.
Arizona State 4
Fresno State 2
DOUBLES:
1. Carlotti/Tallo (FSU) def. Colalillo/Engel (ASU), 8-4
2. Sainz/Winterhalter (FSU) def. Brown/Sureephong (ASU), 9-7
3. Burkett/Yeats (ASU) def. Jovanovic/McRae (FSU), 8-3
SINGLES:
1. #7 Adria Engel (ASU) vs. #8 Chloe Carlotti (FSU), DNF (FSU leading 7-6, 4-1)
2. #56 Dora Krstulovic (ASU) def. Lucia Tallo (FSU), 6-2, 6-3
3. Mhairi Brown (ASU) def. Lucia Sainz (FSU), 6-2, 7-5
4. Cindy Sureephong (ASU) def. Vlatka Jovanovic (FSU), 6-2, 6-3
5. Lauren Colalillo (ASU) def. Kathrin Winterhalter (FSU), 6-3, 7-6 (2)
6. Kristy McRae (FSU) def. Joslynn Burkett (ASU), 6-1, 6-0