Xavier wins tennis duals against Grambling
February 25, 2009
Results:
Men
Women
BAKER, La. — Xavier University of Louisiana,
ranked 17th in the NAIA, defeated NCAA Division I opponent Grambling 9-0
Wednesday in a women's tennis match at Greenwood Park Tennis Center.
It was the seventh consecutive victory for the Gold Nuggets (7-2) —
their longest streak in three seasons — and the sixth consecutive dual in
which they did not lose a set.
Xavier's 15th-ranked men, despite losing singles matches at two of the top three
flights, defeated Grambling 7-2. NAIA scoring rules were used in both duals.
Anastesia Opata, No. 22 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA preseason
women's singles rankings, defeated Maia Semerdjieva 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.
Opata and Angelina Callis beat Semerdjiva and Malaina Davis 8-3 at No. 1 doubles.
The closest women's match was at No. 4 singles, where Jihanna Mughnee beat
Davis 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-5).
The Lady Tigers had five available players and defaulted matches at No. 3
doubles and No. 6 singles.
In the men's dual, Xavier's Terry Richardson and Steffen
Giles-Osborn both earned their team-leading eighth singles victories of 2008-09.
Richardson beat Ceron Rolle 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2, and Giles-Osborn, a freshman,
defeated Ryan Charles 6-3, 6-3 at No. 4.
Grambling scored its points in singles when Nicolas Rufiyikiri defeated
Mike Green 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 and Anton Belikov beat Mikhail Vaval 2-6,
7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-4) at No. 3.
The Gold Rush is 7-2. Both Xavier teams have two victories this
season against Division I opponents.
"Our women just played solid from top to bottom," Xavier coach
Alan Green said. "It was good for our men to get back on the court as quickly
as possible after losing Sunday. Today they did a better job being more assertive."
Both Xavier teams will play next on March 6 at the University of New Orleans.
Grambling will remain in the Baton Rouge area and begin play Friday in the
Southwestern Athletic Conference Roundup.
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