2014 MAC Women's Tennis Tournament Champions - Miami
Miami Wins MAC Women's Tennis Championship
2014 MAC Women's Tennis Championship Match
April 27 on the campus of Miami University
Sunday, April 27: No. 1 Miami def. No. 3 Eastern Michigan, 4-2
Miami:
Women's Tennis MAC Tournament Champions
OXFORD, Ohio – For the second consecutive year the Miami University women’s tennis team won the Mid-American Conference Tournament after the RedHawks edged out Eastern Michigan 4-2 on Sunday afternoon. Miami (17-6, 7-1 MAC) will find out its opening-round NCAA Tournament opponent at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Doubles action began with Miami surrendering an 8-2 loss at No. 1. Senior Christiana Raymond and sophomore Ana Rajkovic downed their No. 3 opponents, 8-4. With No. 2 doubles now the deciding factor for the doubles point, Miami lost by a score of 8-6 and gave EMU a 1-0 lead in the match heading into singles action.
In a gritty round of singles play that sent four of the six matches into a third set, Miami started off on a wobbly foot when sophomore Ana Rajkovic fell at No. 6 by a score of 7-5, 6-4. Miami needed to win four of the remaining six matches in order to capture the victory. Sophomore Andreea Badileanu started the RedHawks off with her 6-4, 6-4 effort at No. 2. Playing at No. 5 singles, junior Christine Guerrazzi handed in the next win, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. Senior Nimisha Mohan gave Miami their first match lead of the day by defeating her opponent at No. 1 singles, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
With Miami leading the Eagles by a score of 3-2, the only remaining matches were those of senior Christiana Raymond at No. 4 and junior Alix Thurman at No 5. Miami needed to win one of those two matches in order to advance. Raymond trailed 5-1 in her first set before bouncing back for a 7-6 (8-6) tiebreak win. However, she was blanked, 6-0 in her second set. Thurman dropped her first set, 6-1 but rebounded for a 6-4 showing in her second set.
Thurman and Raymond were both in the middle of their third sets when Mohan finished and the RedHawks needed one of them to prevail in order to win the match and the MAC Tournament. Thurman answered with a 7-6 (7-3) tiebreak win in her third set.
Thurman and Mohan were both named to the MAC All-Tournament Team and Thurman received MAC Tournament MVP honors following the conclusion of the match.
2014 MAC Women's Tennis All-Tournament Team
Buffalo – Anna Maria Candanoza
Ball State – Kristal Sanders
EMU – Nino Mebuke
EMU – Maria Paula Ribero
Miami – Nimisha Mohan
Miami – Alix Thurman (Most Valuable Player)
First-round and second-round NCAA Tournament action will take place at various campus sites across the country beginning on Friday, May 9 and going through Sunday, May 11. Tuesday’s selection show will be live-streamed on NCAA.com at 5:30 p.m. this Tuesday.
Miami University 4, Eastern Michigan 2
4/27/2014 at Oxford, Ohio (Hepburn Varsity Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1. Nimisha Mohan (MIAMI) def. Klara Supejova (EMU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Andreea Badileanu (MIAMI) def. Diana Davitaia (EMU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Christiana Raymond (MIAMI) vs. Nino Mebuke (EMU) 7-6 (8-6), 0-6, 2-3, unfinished
4. Alix Thurman (MIAMI) def. Mariya Toncheva (EMU) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
5. Christine Guerrazzi (MIAMI) def. Daphne Friedrichs (EMU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
6. Maria Paula Ribero (EMU) def. Ana Rajkovic (MIAMI) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Klara Supejova/Nino Mebuke (EMU) def. Andreea Badileanu/Nimisha Mohan (MIAMI) 8-2
2. Diana Davitaia/Maria Paula Ribero (EMU) def. Christine Guerrazzi/Alix Thurman (MIAMI) 8-6
3. Christiana Raymond/Ana Rajkovic (MIAMI) def. Mariya Toncheva/Daphne Friedrichs (EMU) 8-4
Match Notes
Eastern Michigan 15-9, 6-2 MAC
Miami University 17-6, 7-1 MAC
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,2,1,5,4)
Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship match
No. 3 seed Eastern Michigan vs. No. 1 seed Miami University
Eastern Michigan:
Eastern Falls Just Shy, 4-2, in MAC Championship Match; EMU had its best season since 2001-02
OXFORD, Ohio – The Eastern Michigan University women's tennis team fell just short, 4-2, versus Miami University in the 2014 Mid-American Conference Championship match on Saturday, April 27. After winning the doubles point, Miami won four-of-five singles matches that finished at the Hepburn Varsity Tennis Courts.
In doubles action, Nino Mebuke and Klara Supejova remained unbeaten versus MAC opponents after defeating Andreea Badileanu and Nimisha Moah easily, 8-2. Diana Davitaia and Maria Paula Ribero clinched the doubles point by downing Christine Guerrazzi and Alix Thurman, 8-6. Daphne Friedrichs and Mariya Toncheva finished the doubles season by falling, 8-4, at the hands of Christina Raymond and Ana Rajkovic.
Eastern struggled in singles play as Ribero was the only Eagle to step away from the court with a victory. Ribero was first to finish, giving EMU a 2-0 lead after taking down Rajkovic, 7-5, 6-4. Davitaia was dropped by a conference foe for the first time at No. 2 singles when Badileanu marked a 6-4, 6-4 win over the Tbilisi, Georgia native. Supejova then fell, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 , at No. 1 to Mohan, knotting the dual up at two points apiece. Guerrazzi gave the RedHawks a 3-2 lead when she knocked off Friedrichs, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, before Thurman clinched the championship for Miami with a three set, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6, win over Toncheva in the No. 4 slot.
"This was a great battle between two great teams," said Head Coach Ryan Ray. "Miami earned it in the end. I'm very proud of this group for their desire throughout this tournament and season. I think they represented EMU very well."
Eastern completed the season at 15-9 overall on the season, notching the most wins in a campaign since the 2001-02 season. The Green and White saw three members of its squad earn All-MAC honors for the first time since 2002. In addition, Head Coach Ryan Ray earned his 100 th career win as an NCAA Division I head coach.
Singles competition
1. Nimisha Mohan (MU) def. Klara Supejova (EMU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Andreea Badileanu (MU) def. Diana Davitaia (EMU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Christiana Raymond (MU) vs. Nino Mebuke (EMU) 7-6 (8-6), 0-6, 2-3, unfinished
4. Alix Thurman (MU) def. Mariya Toncheva (EMU) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
5. Christine Guerrazzi (MU) def. Daphne Friedrichs (EMU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
6. Maria Paula Ribero (EMU) def. Ana Rajkovic (MU) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Klara Supejova/Nino Mebuke (EMU) def. Andreea Badileanu/Nimisha Mohan (MU) 8-2
2. Diana Davitaia/Maria Paula Ribero (EMU) def. Christine Guerrazzi/Alix Thurman (MU) 8-6
3. Christiana Raymond/Ana Rajkovic (MU) def. Mariya Toncheva/Daphne Friedrichs (EMU) 8-4
