Ladyjacks Fall to Wichita State, 7-0, in 2018 Opener

Friday, January 19

Dallas, Texas

9:00 a.m.

Stephen F. Austin

Wichita State University

Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography

Ladyjacks Fall to Wichita State, 7-0, in 2018 Opener

1/19/2018 1:23:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

SFA falls to 0-2 all-time against Shockers

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

DALLAS, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin women's tennis team suffered a 7-0 loss to Wichita State in the season opener for both teams at the SMU Tennis Complex Friday morning.

"We dealt with a few things that were out of our control today - namely some sickness that left us a little short-handed," remarked SFA head coach Jon McLaughlin following the match. "We had to regroup and change up some thing against a team that enters this season in search of an eighth-straight conference title.

"Wichita State has been one of the premier mid-major programs in the past decade and if we want to contend for a championship in our own league it's important to schedule matches like this so we can use it for a measuring stick for where we want to be."

Both of the Ladyjacks' top two doubles teams dropped 6-1 decisions, giving Wichita State a 1-0 lead headed to singles play.

A pair of SFA newcomers - Vera Carvalho and Armelle Cerdan - traded sets with the Shockers' duo of Marta Belluco and Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva in the third doubles flight. Eventually, Carvalho and Cerdan rallied to go up 3-2 but that match was stopped following Wichita State's wins in the first and second doubles flights which gave the Shockers that point.

Junior Kaja Ljubic was on the wrong end of a 6-0, 6-0 score against Sandra Honigova in the number-four doubles flight which allowed the Shockers to go up 2-0. Playing in the first and second singles matches respectively, Darinka Tiboldi and Gabi Guilarte dropped their decisions against Guilia Guidetti and Fatima Bizhukova.

Going up against Guidetti, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Tiboldi fell 6-2, 6-0, while Guilarte lost 6-1, 6-3 to Bizhukova who was an All-MVC First Team singles performer a season ago.

Siân Payne went toe-to-toe with Saidhujaeva in the third singles match and narrowly missed out on forcing a deciding third set. SFA's sophomore fell 6-2, 7-5 and following that result first-time SFA singles performer Carvalho was tripped up by Belluco by a 6-0, 6-0 tally.

Cerdan continued her strong play in singles action, securing a 6-3 win in her opening set with Alexandra Lazarova in the sixth flight. Lazarova, however, bounced back and forced a tiebreak set with a 6-4 triumph in set two. Cerdan continued to fight in the final set, but fell 10-3 to conclude the match.

In a little over one week, the Ladyjacks will take part in their first home matches of the 2018 campaign. SFA welcomes UTSA and Tyler Junior College to the Schlief Tennis Complex for a pair matches on Saturday, Jan. 27. The Ladyjacks' match against UTSA is set for a noon start while SFA's exhibition bout with TJC is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.

Wichita State vs Stephen F. Austin
Jan 19, 2018 at Dallas, Texas
Wichita State 7, Stephen F. Austin 0

Singles competition
1. Giulia Guidetti (WSU) def. Tiboldi, Darinka (SFA) 6-2, 6-0
2. Fatima Bizhukova (WSU) def. Guilarte, Gabi (SFA) 6-1, 6-3
3. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) def. Payne, Sian (SFA) 6-2, 7-5
4. Sandra Honigova (WSU) def. Ljubic, Kaja (SFA) 6-0, 6-1
5. Marta Belluco (WSU) def. Carvalho, Vera (SFA) 6-0, 6-0
6. Alexandra Lazarova (WSU) def. Cerdan, Armelle (SFA) 3-6, 6-4, 10-3

Doubles competition
1. Gabriela Porubin/Fatima Bizhukova (WSU) def. Guilarte, Gabi/Tiboldi, Darinka (SFA) 6-1
2. Giulia Guidetti/Sandra Honigova (WSU) def. Ljubic, Kaja/Payne, Sian (SFA) 6-1
3. Cerdan, Armelle/Carvalho, Vera (SFA) vs. Marta Belluco/Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) 3-2, unfinished

Match Notes:
Wichita State 1-0
Stephen F. Austin 0-1
Order of finish | Doubles: 1, 2, uf
Order of finish | Singles: 4, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
A-17