Kaluder's #1 win can't lift Arkansas past Tulsa

FAYETTEVILLE – Sophomore Ela Kaluder captured a straight-set win on centre court, but it was not enough to lift the University of Arkansas women’s tennis team past the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center Sunday afternoon.

The loss drops the Lady Razorbacks to 1-1 for the season while Tulsa improves to 5-0.

In doubles it looked like the Lady’Backs would coast to weekend sweep as Arkansas captured the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. Junior Maryori Franco and sophomore Nanar Airapetian had no trouble defeating Tulsa’s Kindsay Grimes and Carla Zabaleta, 8-1. Court two’s win was closely followed by an 8-5 Lady’Back win on court one as Kaluder and junior Audrey Bordeleau defeated Santie Delport and Marta Marcinkowska.

In singles, Arkansas and Tulsa were neck-and-neck until the Golden Hurricane got a big push with a win on court three. Arkansas couldn’t rally to make ends meet at the end of the match, despite a 6-2, 6-3 win from Kaluder on court one over Tulsa’s Kindsay Grimes.

Another bright spot for Arkansas came late in the afternoon on court four as Bordeleau fought back from 1-4 in the third set to win 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8) in three and a half hours over Tulsa’s Thalia Diaz-Barriga.

“I give full credit to Tulsa today,” said Arkansas head coach Michael Hegarty. “It was a touch-and-go match for a long time, but they got results at the critical moments.”

The Lady’Backs are back in action next Saturday, February 3, at Missouri. Match time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. For more information on Arkansas tennis or any other Lady Razorback athletic, please visit LADYBACKS.com.

Tennis Match Results – January 28, 2007

Arkansas 3, Tulsa 4

Match Time: 4 hrs. 20 minutes

Doubles:

1. Audrey Bordeleau/Ela Kaluder (UA) def. Santie Delport/Marta Marcinkowska (TU) 8-5*

2. Maryori Franco/Nanar Airapetian (UA) def. Kindsay Grimes/Carla Zabaleta (TU) 8-1

3. Thalia Diaz-Barriga/Jie Zeng (TU) def. Rachel Wilhelm/Melissa Hoffmeister (UA) 8-5

Singles

1. Ela Kaluder (UA) def. Kindsay Grimes (TU) 6-2, 6-3

2. Carla Zabaleta (TU) def. Maryori Franco (UA) 6-1, 6-3

3. Santie Delport (TU) def. Nanar Airapetian (UA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

4. Audrey Bordeleau (UA) def. Thalia Diaz-Barriga (TU) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8)

5. Eleonora Kuruc (TU) def. Rachel Wilhelm (UA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3*

6. Agostina Santoro (TU) def. Melissa Hoffmeister (UA) 6-0, 6-4

*Clinched Doubles/Match

Order of Finish:1,6,2,3,5,4 2,1,3