May 13, 2005
ATLANTA – Eva Dickes’ three-set victory at No. 4 singles clinched Pepperdine’s 4-1 victory over Mississippi State in the first round of the NCAA Atlanta Women’s Tennis Regional, Friday at the Bill Moore Tennis Center on the campus of Georgia Tech.
Pepperdine, ranked 40th nationally (15-8), lost the doubles point but swept the first four singles flights to advance to Saturday’s regional final against either Georgia Tech or Winthrop. The 26th-ranked Bulldogs finish the season with a record of 12-8.
Dickes dropped the first set against Renee Joseph before rallying for a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. The sophomore from Germany squandered a match point as she served for the match up 5-4 in the third before winning the final two games.
Trailing 1-0 after doubles, Pepperdine evened the match with a straight set victory at No. 5 singles, where Merve Asimgil downed Magdi Rekasi, 6-2, 6-2. The Waves’ Bianca Dulgheru quickly added another point with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Anastasia Kugakolova at No. 2 singles as Pepperdine led 2-1.
The remaining matches were much more closely contested. At No. 1 singles, Caroline Raba dropped the first set, 6-1, to Zsuzsanna Fodor but came back to win the flight, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. That gave Pepperdine a 3-1 advantage, setting up Dickes’ clinching victory at No. 4. The remaining matches at No. 3 and No. 6 were in third sets when the match ended.
Mississippi State captured the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Bulldogs’ Tarryn Rudman and Polina Kokoulina defeated Merve Asimgil and Vanessa Dunlap at the No. 3 flight, 8-2, and then the No. 1 duo of Zsuzsanna Fodor and Anastasia Kugakolova clinched the doubles point with an 8-5 victory over Sylvia Kosakowski and Carolina Raba. The No. 2 doubles match was suspended with Mississippi State leading.
Saturday’s regional final is scheduled for 11 a.m.
NCAA Atlanta Regional
May 13, 2005 at Atlanta, Ga.
Pepperdine 4, Mississippi State 1
Singles competition:
1. Caroline Raba (PU) d. Zsuzsanna Fodor (MS), 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Bianca Dulgheru (PU) d. Anastasia Kugakolova (MS), 6-3, 6-3
3. Sylvia Kosakowski (PU) vs. Tarryn Rudman (MS), DNF
4. Eva Dickes (PU) d. Renee Joseph (MS), 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Merve Asimgil (PU) d. Magdi Rekasi (MS), 6-2, 6-2
6. Lise Sissler (PU) vs. Polina Kokoulina (MS), DNF
Doubles competition:
1. Zsuzsanna Fodor/Anastasia Kugakolova (MS) def. Sylvia Kosakowski/Caroline Raba (PU) 8-5
2. Magdi Rekasi/Hayley Rudman (MS) d. Eva Dickes/Bianca Dulgheru (PU), DNF
3. Tarryn Rudman/Polina Kokoulina (MS) def. Merve Asimgil/Vanessa Dunlap (PU) 8-2
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (5, 2, 1, 4)
