ORLANDO, Fla. - The third-seed Massachusetts Minutewomen punched their ticket to the Atlantic 10 Women's Tennis Championship finals with a 4-1 victory against No. 2 Saint Louis on Friday at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. With the win, the Minutewomen will face No. 8 Richmond on Satutday evening in the Championship final.
UMass earned the doubles point to take the 1-0 lead early. SLU's Elizabeth Mintusova and Kseniia Aleshina defeated Danielle Hack and Thamonpan Jonglertrakul, 6-1, at No. 1 to start off the match. Partners Renata Farima and Mariana Campino notched a 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles over the Billikens' Emmerson White Fiorella Duran, before Ella Faessler and Amelia Tye scaptured the point for the Minutewomen with a 6-3 victory on court No. 2 over Norhan Hesham and Nicolly Ferreira of Saint Louis.
Hack rolled out a quick 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 1 over Saint Louis' Minutsova to start singles action and made it a 2-0 lead for UMass. The Billikens' White grabbed a point for Saint Louis on court No. 6 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Tye, but Polina Akimova took down Duran of the Billikens at No. 5 with a 6-2, 6-3 win of her own. Faessler clinched the match with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-0 triumph at No. 3 singles over Hesham of Saint Louis, securing the Minutewomen's spot in the A-10 Finals.
With the win, the Minutewomen to the A-10 Finals for the ninth time in program history.
MATCH #11
#3 MASSACHUSETTS def. #2 SAINT LOUIS, 4-1
SINGLES
1. Danielle Hack (UM) def. Elizabeth Mintusova (SLU) 6-0, 6-3
2. Norhan Hesham (SLU) vs. Thamonpan Jonglertra (UM) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0, DNF
3. Ella Faessler (UM) def. Kseniia Aleshina (SLU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-0
4. Mariana Campino (UM) vs. Sandra Gines (SLU) 6-4, 5-2, DNF
5. Polina Akimova (UM) def. Fiorella Duran (SLU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Emmerson White (SLU) def. Amelia Tye (UM) 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 5, 3
DOUBLES
1. Elizabeth Mintusova/Kseniia Aleshina (SLU) def. Danielle Hack/Thamonpan Jonglertra (UM) 6-1
2. Ella Faessler/Amelia Tye (UM) def. Norhan Hesham/Nicolly Ferreira (SLU) 6-3
3. Renata Farima/Mariana Campino (UM) def. Emmerson White/Fiorella Duran (SLU) 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2