Jan. 15, 2014
Honolulu, Hawaii----- San Jose State University started its 2014 women's tennis dual match season on the right track, but eventually lost to the University of Nevada, 4-3, in a non-conference contest.
The #65-ranked Spartans won the first point of the match by capturing two of the three doubles matches in the best-of-seven point contest.
However, the WolfPack (1-1) captured four of six singles matches to take home the dual-match victory. Three of Nevada's four singles wins came down to the new super-tiebreaker format in singles. When players split the first two sets, they play a tiebreaker to 10 points that determines the winner.
Freshman Gaelle Rey and junior Julianna Bacelar won at number-three and number-four singles, respectively for San Jose State. Rey teamed with Jessica Willett and Bacelar joined with Justine Delevalfor doubles victories.
"We started well in the doubles. We won the doubles point and that was great," said San José State head coach Sylvain Malroux.
"In the singles, there was a lot of good play on every court. With very few points (to play for), we have to do a better job of not making unforced errors. Overall, our team played well. Losing this match was very frustrating. We lost the match, but we played well."
The Spartans' head coach expressed his displeasure for the new scoring format particularly for singles which is meant in kind to shorten the length of a women's college tennis match to less than three hours. Prior to the opener with Nevada, Malroux watched the WolfPack lose 5-2 to host Hawaii. Two of those matches went to the singles super-tiebreaker with Hawaii winning both to decide the overall winner.
"Unfortunately, with this new format (for singles), I think it takes away a lot of the physical attributes of the game. It's like a toss-up to see who is going to win the super tiebreaker, because it does not reflect whom the better team or better player is. It (the match) comes down to a very few number of points. Nevada played a match before us, was in this situation (yesterday) and had an advantage over us. It would like playing football with two halves of 10 minutes and if it is tied, then let's play overtime.
"This is the way we have to play. We have to get better at it. We cannot complain about it. Both teams are in the same situation."
San Jose State concludes its opening road swing in Honolulu taking on Hawaii on January 16 in a 3:00 p.m. (HT) contest at the Rainbow Wahine's on-campus Tennis Complex.
San Jose State (0-1) vs. Nevada (1-1) Women's Tennis
University of Hawaii Tennis Complex
Non-conference
January 15, 2014
Final Score - Nevada 4, #65-San Jose State 3
| Doubles | |
| Sabastiani Leon Chao & Marie Klocker (SJSU) vs. Michelle Okhremchuk & Sheila Morales Hidalgo (UN) | did not finish |
| Gaelle Rey & Jessica Willett (SJSU) def. Sheila Smiley & Monika Megusiak (UN) | 6-1 |
| Justine Deleval & Julianna Bacelar (SJSU) def. Beatriz Garcia Planas & Caroline Konigsfeldt (UN) | 6-3 |
| Singles | |
| Michelle Okhremchuk (UN) def. Marie Klocker(SJSU) | 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 |
| Sheila Morales Hidalgo (UN) def. Sabastiani Leon Chao(SJSU) | 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 (super tiebreaker) |
| Gaelle Rey(SJSU) def. Sheila Smiley (UN) | 6-4, 6-1 |
Julianna Bacelar(SJSU) def. Caroline Konigsfeldt (UN) | 6-4, 6-3 |
| Monika Megusiak (UN) def. Jessica Willett(SJSU) | 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 (super tiebreaker) |
| Beatriz Garcia Planas (UN) def. Justine Deleval (SJSU) | 0-6, 6-3, 10-5 (super tiebreaker) |