FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 63rd-ranked Florida Gulf Coast University women's tennis team dropped a hard-fought 4-3 decision to the University of South Alabama in a non-conference match Saturday morning at the FGCU Tennis Complex.
The loss is FGCU's first in three all-time meetings against South Alabama and marks the first time the Eagles have lost a 4-3 match this season, having won its previous two 4-3 matches.
South Alabama (6-2) took the doubles point by winning two of the three doubles matches. In the No. 1 match, the pair of Delien Kleinhans and Rio Maeda knocked off FGCU's
Isabella Colmenares and
Gabriela Macias, 6-1, while Chems Doha Zeghlouli and Kenza Elakili beat the Eagles' No. 2 team of
Paloma Goldsmith and
Nora Svensson, 6-3. FGCU's No. 3 team of
Francisca Vergara and
Anjali Kotecha got the Eagles (5-5) their win, beating Jade Marie and Lara Van Der Merwe, 6-3.
When the singles matches got under way, Macias tied the match, 1-1, with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Van Der Merwe at No. 5. Elakili then replied with a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Goldsmith at No. 6 to give the Jaguars a 2-1 advantage. Svensson re-tied the match, 2-2, for FGCU with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Marie in the No. 4 singles matchup.
Kotecha then put FGCU in front, 3-2, by beating Maeda, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 singles and the outcome of the overall match came down to Nos. 1 and 3 singles, where both matches split sets. Doha Zeghlouli tied the match at 3 by outlasting Vergara, 6-4, 6-7 (7-2), 6-2 in the No. 3 match and Kleinhans completed South Alabama's comeback, rallying from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 over Colmenares at No. 1 to give the Jaguars the overall win.
The Eagles' eight-match home stand continues Tuesday morning, as FGCU hosts Big East member St. John's (6-3) at the FGCU Tennis Complex. First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m.
South Alabama 4 #63 FGCU 3
Doubles
1. Delien Kleinhans/Rio Maeda (USA) def.
Isabella Colmenares/
Gabriela Macias (FGCU) 6-1
2. Kenza Elakili/Chems Doha Zeghlouli (USA) def. Paloma Goldsmith/Nora Svensson (FGCU) 6-3
3. Francisca Vergara/Anjali Kotecha (FGCU) def. Jade Marie/Lara Van Der Merwe (USA) 6-3
Singles
1. Delien Kleinhans (USA) def. Isabella Colmenares (FGCU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Anjali Kotecha (FGCU) def. Rio Maeda (USA) 6-2, 6-3
3. Chems Doha Zeghlouli (USA) def. Francisca Vergara (FGCU) 6-4, 6-7 (7-2), 6-2
4. Nora Svensson (FGCU) def. Jade Marie (USA) 6-1, 6-3
5. Gabriela Macias (FGCU) def. Lara Van Der Merwe (USA) 6-1, 6-0
6. Kenza Elakili (USA) def. Paloma Goldsmith (FGCU) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2); Singles (5, 6, 4, 2, 3, 1)
