TCU
Air Force
Horned Frogs Cruise Past Air Force, 5-2
4/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 9, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The No. 27 TCU women's tennis team won their fourth consecutive match on Thursday with a 5-2 defeat of Air Force indoors at the Randy Briggs Tennis Bubble. The Horned Frogs improved to 11-9 overall and 5-1 in Mountain West Conference play with the win, while the Falcons dropped to 10-14 overall and 0-6 in MWC action.
"We all played really well today, especially in the second sets," sophomore Maria Babanova said. "Playing inside, it took us a set to get comfortable with the speed of the indoor courts. We are excited to play to matches in a row tomorrow."
After Air Force took the doubles point by default, senior Anna Sydorska picked up her third consecutive singles win, dominating Katrina Eromin, 6-0, 6-0. With the win, Sydorska cracks TCU's top-10 list for career combined victories, totaling 71 singles wins and 97 doubles wins in her career.
With the match knotted at 1-1, freshman Kayla Duncan gave the Frogs the lead by tacking on a victory at the No. 2 flight, toppling USAFA's Christine Abayan, 6-4, 6-0. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native advances her current winning streak to six-straight matches, moving to 12-6 in singles for the season.
Sophomore Idunn Hertzberg handed TCU a 3-1 advantage after defeating Sarah Cassman from the No. 4 slot. Hertzberg is 2-0 from that spot in the lineup and now 11-5 after taking eight of her last nine matches.
Babanova clinched the match for TCU for the third time this year with a 7-5, 6-0 rout of Shannon Young at the No. 6 position. The sophomore has rebounded from her three-match losing skid by earning victories in her last two matches.
Katariina Tuohimaa, a sophomore from Helsinki, Finland, ended the afternoon for the Frogs with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Christen Monreal at the top flight. The win was Tuohimaa' 12th of the season, tying Duncan for the team lead.
The Frogs will return to action on Friday with a doubleheader against Wyoming (10 a.m. CT) and Colorado State (5 p.m. CT).
No. 27 TCU 5, Air Force 2
SINGLES
1. Katariina Tuohimma (TCU) def. Christen Monreal (AF) 7-5, 6-4
2. Kayla Duncan (TCU) def. Christine Abayan (AF) 6-4, 6-0
3. Allie Chermel (AF) def. Gaby Mastromarino (TCU) 7-6, 6-3
4. Idunn Hertzberg (TCU) def. Sarah Cassman (AF) 7-5, 6-1
5. Anna Sydorska (TCU) def. Katrina Eromin (AF) 6-0, 6-0
6. Maria Babanova (TCU) def. Shannon Young (AF) 7-5, 6-0
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 4, 6, 3, 1
DOUBLES
1. Abayan/Eromin (AF) def. Mastromarino/Sydorska (TCU) 9-7
2. Tuohimma/Hertzberg (TCU) def. Monreal/Chermel (AF) 8-4
3. Shelley Johnson/Shannon Young (AF) def. No player/No player (TCU), by default
Order of Finish: 2, 1*
Players Mentioned
