DALLAS, Texas (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF women's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to SMU in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship at the SMU Tennis Complex on Friday afternoon.
UCF (19-4) advanced to its first semifinal as a member of The American and held a 1-0 lead over SMU (17-8) after doubles.
Ksenia Kuznetsova and Maria Martinez opened the day with a 6-3 win at No. 1. The Knights clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 win at No. 2 from Rebeka Stolmar and Silvia Bordes.
After the Mustangs evened the match with a straight-set win at No. 6 in singles, Ksenia Kuznetsova put the Knights back on top. She followed a 6-3 win at No. 2 singles with a 6-4 win to put UCF in front, 2-1.
The final four singles matches went into third sets. SMU pulled even with a victory at No. 5, and took a 3-2 lead with a No. 1 win.
After dropping her first set, 6-4, Monica Matias rallied for a 7-5 victory in the second set on court four. She captured UCF's third point of the match with a 6-2 win in the third set.
The match was decided on court four as Rebeka Stolmar was locked in a three-set battle with SMU's Anzhelika Shapovalova. Shapovalova claimed a 6-1 victory in the first set, but Stolmar responded with a 6-4 second set win. Stolmar stormed back from an early third set deficit, but was unable to overcome Shapovalova in a 6-4 third set decision.
The Knights will now await their postseason fate.
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