OXFORD, Miss. — LSU’s 35th-ranked women’s tennis team won four of the six singles positions and then clinched the match with a win at No. 1 doubles as the Lady Tigers advanced to the second round of the Southeastern Conference Women’s Tennis Championships with a 5-2 victory over 33rd-ranked Arkansas here Thursday.
With the win, the 10th-seeded Lady Tigers improved to 13-9 overall and avenged a 5-4 loss to Arkansas earlier this season. Arkansas, who was the No. 7 seed in the tournament, fell to 9-11. The win was the first for LSU at the SEC Tournament since a 6-0 victory over Auburn in 1997.
LSU now faces second-seeded Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday at 10:30 a.m.
“We played a very solid match,” LSU coach Tony Minnis said. “Arkansas is a good team, but we did an excellent job today and we picked up a big win.
“Four of the six singles matches went to a third set and we finally came through in the clutch and won some close matches. We are starting to finally put every together and play the type of tennis that we are capable of.”
The Lady Tigers clinched the victory at No. 1 doubles where 10th-ranked Bruna Colosio and Ana Paula Mores cruised to an easy 8-1 win over Chin Bee Khoo and Andrea Ho.
“The first word that comes to my mind is disappointment,” Arkansas coach Kevin Platt said. “LSU did what it took to win and we didn’t. Normally we’re the team that does what it takes to win a match, but today we just didn’t get it done.”
LSU had little trouble with the Lady’Backs in singles as Fernando Tsucamoto beat Brenda Vlasak, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 3 and Lauren Haddix posted a 6-3, 6-4 win over Adriana Lopez at No. 4 for two points for the Lady Tigers.
LSU’s other two singles wins came in three sets as 66th-ranked Mores rallied after losing the first set to post a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Ho at No. 2, while Amy McIlhaney beat Julia Boyadjieva, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 6.
Arkansas’ only wins over the Lady Tigers came at No. 1 singles where Khoo upset 10th-ranked Colosio, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4 and at No. 5 where Tara Reid topped Tami Botts, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
In the second round, LSU will meet Florida for the second time this season, having lost to the Lady Gators in Gainesville, 7-2, on Feb. 26. Florida’s lineup features five ranked players including 11th-ranked Whitney Laiho, 30th-ranked Jessica Lehnhoff, 44th and 45th-ranked Traci Green and Baili Camino, along with 65th-ranked Stephanie Hazlett.
The Lady Gators also have two ranked doubles teams in No. 9 Laiho-Lehnhoff and No. 34 Camino-Green.
LSU (10) 5, Arkansas (7), 2
SEC Championships
First Round
April 20, 2000
SINGLES
No. 1 #22 Chin Bee Khoo (ARK) def. #10 Bruna Colosio (LSU), 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
No. 2 #66 Ana Paula Mores (LSU) def. Andrea Ho (ARK), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
No. 3 Fernanda Tsucamoto (LSU) def. #100 Brenda Vlasak (ARK), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 Lauren Haddix (LSU) def. Adriana Lopez (ARK), 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 Tara Reid (ARK) def. Tami Botts (LSU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
No. 6 Amy McIlhaney (LSU) def. Julia Boyadjieva (ARK), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
DOUBLES
No. 1 #11 Colosio-Mores (LSU) def. Ho-Khoo (ARK), 8-1
No. 2 McIlhaney-Tsucamoto (LSU) vs. Lopez-Vlasak (ARK), 2-1 suspended
No. 3 Botts-Haddix (LSU) vs. Boyadjieva-Reid (ARK), suspended.