BATON ROUGE — The 23rd-ranked LSU women’s tennis team defeated the Tulane Green Wave Wednesday, 6-3, for the Lady Tigers’ sixth-straight win over their in-state rivals. LSU hasn’t been beaten by the Green Wave since 1995.
“We played good, solid tennis today,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “It was a great win for our team. We beat a very talented Tulane squad. Tulane is having an outstanding season, and the win will help our chances of making the NCAA Tournament for the sixth-straight season.”
The Lady Tigers improved their overall record to 12-7 with the win, while the loss snapped the Green Wave’s four-match winning streak and dropped their record to 11-7.
LSU’s win over Tulane was its 10th win of the season versus non-conference opponents. The Lady Tigers are 10-1 against teams outside of the Southeastern Conference. The 19th-ranked Florida State Seminoles were the only non-conference team to hand LSU a loss this season.
The Lady Tigers led the Green Wave, 4-2, after singles play by winning on courts No. 1, 2, 3, and 5.
LSU picked up two quick points Wednesday afternoon versus the Green Wave. On court No. 1, 11th-ranked Bruna Colosio defeated Anna Monhartova, 6-1, 6-2, while 64th-ranked Ana Paula Mores beat Maiko Cook, 6-1, 6-1, on court No. 2.
Tulane then fought back to tie the match with wins of their own on courts No. 6 and No. 4, but LSU would end up taking a two point advantage going into the doubles round.
Freshman Lauren Haddix regained the lead for LSU on court No. 5 with a 6-4, 7-6(5) win over the Green Wave’s Anneli Axsater. The Lady Tigers’ Fernanda Tsucamoto then squeaked past Julie Morris in two tiebreakers, 7-6(5), 7-6(6), on court No. 3 to make the score 4-2.
“I am extremely impressed with the way that Fernanda has been playing lately,” Minnis said. “Her grandmother died a little while ago, and I know that she is going through a tough time, but her game has been strong and she is improving in every match.”
LSU clinched the match at No. 1 doubles where the 10th-ranked duo of Colosio/Mores handily defeated Tulane’s Mikhailova/Morris, 8-0.
The teams then split the remaining doubles matches. Tulane’s Monhartova/Kessler won, 8-3, on court No. 2, while LSU’s team comprised of Botts and Amy McIlhaney defeated Cook/Bergman in No. 3 doubles, 8-2.
The LSU Lady Tigers will next be in action this Friday as they travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take on the 10th-ranked Vanderbilt Lady Commodores.
LSU: 6, TULANE: 3
April 5, 2000
Baton Rouge, LA
SINGLES
No. 1 – #11 Bruna Colosio (LSU) def. Anna Monhartova (TUL), 6-1, 6-2.
No. 2 – #68 Ana Paula Mores (LSU) def. Maiko Cook (TUL), 6-1, 6-1.
No. 3 – Fernanda Tsucamoto (LSU) def. Julie Morris (TUL), 7-6(5), 7-6(6).
No. 4 – Jessica Kessler (TUL) def. Tami Botts (LSU), 6-2, 6-3.
No. 5 – Lauren Haddix (LSU) def. Anneli Axsater (TUL), 6-4, 7-6(5).
No. 6 – Joyce Bergman (TUL) def. Mandy Rice (LSU), 6-2, 6-2.
DOUBLES
No. 1 – #10 Colosio/Mores (LSU) def. Mikhailova/Morris (TUL), 8-0.
No. 2 – Monhartova/Kessler (TUL) def. Amy McIlhaney/Haddix (LSU), 8-3.
No. 3 – Botts/Tsucamoto (LSU) def. Cook/Bergman (TUL), 8-2.
Records: LSU 12-7
Tulane 11-7
Comments: The match was clinched at No. 1 doubles with the Lady Tigers’ Colosio/Mores winning over Mikhailova/Morris, 8-0.