Tennis tops Memphis, stays undefeated in Denton
Freshman Maria Konokova eyes the ball before she swings in a single match against Memphis. Colin Mitchell | Senior Staff Photographer
Courtney Anderson | Staff Writer
North Texas tennis returned to the Waranch Tennis Complex for its second home match in a row to defeat University of Memphis 4-2. The Mean Green (8-8) secured the doubles point early in the match to give them a lead going into the singles matches versus the Tigers (1-13).
The weather was not the only unexpected thing coming into the match. Memphis had two out of their seven players on their roster injured, giving North Texas an automatic singles point and a 1-0 lead in the doubles matches.
“We’ve been in that position before,” head coach Sujay Lama said. “It’s no fun dealing with injury. Sometimes breaks go your way and sometimes they don’t go your way. Today, I think it overall went our way.”
Freshman Maria Kononova and senior Anastasiya Shestakova were the ones to protect the doubles point, defeating their Memphis opponents 6-2.
“We had to make some changes [in the doubles lineup] if we wanted to have a chance to win the championship,” Lama said. “I was really pleased with the way they played together.”
Freshman Minying Liang was the first one to finish her singles match versus Gabrielle Paul to extend the lead to 3-0. Liang defeated Paul 6-2, 6-4.
Junior Alexis Thoma runs to swing at a ball against Memphis. Colin Mitchell | Senior Staff Photographer
Kononova was the second to finish her set but was unable to come out on top, finishing 6-4, 6-3 against Memphis’ Hanna Sohn. Right after, Agustina Valenzuela lost against Marta Morga 6-2, 6-4 in her singles match, bringing the Mean Green lead down to one point.
Shestakova finished off her nail-biting match with Kathryn Hughes 7-5, 6-4, clinching the fourth point of the day to earn No. 73 North Texas another home win.
“I just tried to focus on each point,” Shestakova said. “I really wanted to finish in two sets, so I did everything I could for that.”
With only four games left in the regular season before the Conference USA tournament beings, the team’s main goal is the stay undefeated in Denton.
“We just need to stay focused and believe in [ourselves],” Liang said. “And don’t think about the win too much. Just do whatever you can that day.”
North Texas will play again at home on Sunday at noon to face the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Featured Image: Freshman Maria Konokova eyes the ball before she swings in a single match against Memphis. Colin Mitchell | Senior Staff Photographer
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