March 25, 2007
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - With a lot of momentum behind it after upsetting No. 53 Dartmouth Friday, the UCF women's tennis team cruised past Conference USA foe Memphis Sunday, 7-0, at the UCF Tennis Complex. With the win, the Knights jumped to 8-6 on the season as eighth-year head coach Patricia Allison claimed her 99th career UCF victory.
Memphis (1-12) was unable to fill out its lineup vs. UCF Sunday, and the Knights took advantage by earning a default at No. 3 doubles and giving up just three games at the top two spots for the first overall point. Junior Anna Yakimchenkova and partner sophomore Elvira Serrot got past Ekin Zafir and Christina Wieser at No. 1, 8-3, to move to 8-2 in the their last 10 matches. At No. 2, junior Kyla McNicol and sophomore Kenza Belbacha continued to roll, shutting out Dara Toulch and Katie-Mary Outhwaite, 8-0. It was the duo's ninth-straight doubles victory.
UCF then claimed all four singles matches that were played, and added the final two points due to defaults at Nos. 5 and 6. Serrot went to 8-2 in her last 10 contests by defeating Zafir at No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-1, and Belbacha won her second-straight outing by topping Wieser, 6-1, 7-5, at No. 2. In the No. 3 position, Yakimchenkova notched her first 6-0, 6-0 victory of the season by shutting out Flavia Russo. McNicol also wasted little time in her match at No. 4, dropping just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Outhwaite. The win moved McNicol's singles record for 2006-07 to 12-2.
The Knights will have a tough journey ahead as they travel to New Mexico State Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET. The trip begins a three-match road swing for the Black and Gold as it also visits UTEP and Stetson.
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