TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The LSU women’s tennis team lost its first match of the season on Saturday, as the Lady Tigers were upended by the Florida State Lady Seminoles, 4-3, in Tallahassee, Fla.
“It was an extremely close match for the second-straight year and today they were able to win it,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “We knew that it was going to be a war and they were able to take advantage of some of our mistakes. We just have to rebound from this match and get ready for Southern Methodist on Tuesday.”
With the overall score of the match tied at 3-3, Florida State’s Christina Denny sealed the Lady Seminole victory by outlasting LSU’s Rocio Fantilli on court No. 2. Denny earned a vital 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-2 win in the non-conference battle on Saturday.
In its first match of the season away from the friendly confines of the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium, the Lady Tigers fell to an overall record of 5-1. With the win, Florida State upped its overall record on the season to 4-1.
LSU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in Saturday’s contest as the Lady Tigers’ won two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. The combination of Bruna Colosio and Rocio Fantilli was victorious on court No. 1, while Tami Botts and Perri Budd notched the win in No. 3 doubles.
In singles play, LSU’s 87th-ranked singles player, Botts, extended her winning streak to nine-straight matches by defeating the Lady Seminoles’ Alida Gallovits on court No. 2. With the 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 win, Botts increased her overall record to an impressive 14-3 mark on the season.
Amy McIlhaney earned the Lady Tigers’ second victory in singles play on Saturday. The Lady Tigers’ senior from Marietta, Ga., defeated Florida State’s Lauren Walker on court No. 5. Walker was forced to retire in the second set after an injury. McIlhaney won the match, 7-6(3), 5-3(ret).
The LSU women’s tennis team will look to rebound from its first loss of the season on Tuesday, as the Lady Tigers head to Dallas, Texas, for a match with Southern Methodist at 2 p.m.
Florida State (4-1) def. LSU (5-1), 4-3
Doubles
1. Colosio/Fantilli (LSU) def. Balbuena/Gallovits (FSU), 8-6.
2. Denny/Dumitrescu (FSU) def. McIlhaney/Mang (LSU), 9-7.
3. Botts/Pudd (LSU) def. Walker/Amber Tantee (FSU), 8-6.
Singles
1. #68 Anca Dumitrescu (FSU) def. Bruna Colosio (LSU), 6-2, 6-2.
2. Tami Botts (LSU) def. Alida Gallovits (FSU), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.
3. Christina Denny (FSU) def. Rocio Fantilli (LSU), 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-2.
4. Jessica Balbuena (FSU) def. Amanda Mang (LSU), 6-2, 6-3.
5. Amy McIlhaney (LSU) def. Lauren Walker (FSU), 7-6(3), 5-3(ret).
6. Meredith Fish (FSU) def. Perri Budd (LSU), 6-4, 6-3.