LAS VEGAS — The women’s tennis team began its fall season with three singles wins and four doubles wins in the first day of the UNLV Invitational at the Fertitta Tennis Complex in Las Vegas.
Marina Chiarelli’s victory over No. 72-ranked Gyorgyi Zsiros of UNLV, 6-3, 6-3, in flight one highlighted the day for the Lady Tigers.
Lauren Seaman and Daysi Espinal also picked up key singles wins for LSU. Seaman defeated Minnesota’s Ida Malmberg, 6-4, 6-4, in flight two and Espinal won over Oklahoma’s Bethany Griffin, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in flight three.
Senior Amanda Mang and freshmen Staten Spencer, Tiffany Tucker and Jenny Wooten lost in their first outing of the season. Mang lost in three sets to Nischela Reddy of Minnesota in flight one. Spencer fell to OU’s Christy Baxley in flight five, Tucker to Lauren Simmons of Oklahoma State in flight four and Wooten to OSU’s Sandra Blajer in flight five.
All of LSU’s doubles teams were successful on their courts in the first day of tournament play.
Mang and Seaman advanced after an 8-4 win over OU’s Iryna Tkachenko and Zana Masnic in flight one. Tucker and Chiarelli were victorious over Lauren Fitzgerald and Paige Mainor of Hawaii, 8-6 in flight two, and Espinal and Spencer defeated Simmons and Jennifer Poskitt of OSU, 8-1, in flight four.
Camila Caliari and Wooten also won their doubles match over Hawaii’s Justine Boutet and Kana Aikawa, 9-7, in flight four.
Play resumes Saturday at noon CST for the singles semifinals and doubles finals. Singles finals will be Sunday at 11 a.m.
UNLV INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT — Day 1 Results
SINGLES
FLIGHT ONE
Marina Chiarelli (LSU) def. Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV), 6-3, 6-3
Nischela Reddy (UM) def. Amanda Mang (LSU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
FLIGHT TWO
Lauren Seaman (LSU) def. Ida Malmberg (UM), 6-4, 6-4
FLIGHT THREE
Daysi Espinal (LSU) def. Bethany Griffin (OU), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
FLIGHT FOUR
Lauren Simmons (OSU) def. Tiffany Tucker (LSU), 6-2, 7-5
FLIGHT FIVE
Sandra Blajer (OSU) def. Jenny Wooten (LSU), 6-7, 7-6, 7-5
Christy Baxley (OU) def. Staten Spencer (LSU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
DOUBLES
FLIGHT ONE
Mang/Seaman (LSU) def. Tkachenko/Masnic (OSU), 8-5
FLIGHT TWO
Tucker/Chiarelli (LSU) def. Fitzgerald/Mainor (UH), 8-6
FLIGHT FOUR
Espinal/Spencer (LSU) def. Simmons/Poskitt (OSU), 8-1
FLIGHT FIVE
Caliari/Wooten (LSU) def. Boutet/Aikawa (UH), 9-7