VICKSBURG, Miss. – With both teams going up against Delta State, the Alcorn State University men's tennis program finished on top 6-1, while the women posted a perfect 4-0 win Wednesday at Halls Ferry Road Courts.
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The duo of senior
Nikita Kostikov and junior
Kert Kilumets breezed to a 6-0 win for the Braves (7-17, 4-2 SWAC) at No. 1 doubles. Alcorn clinched the doubles point after senior
Nischay Rawal and sophomore
Nuno Rocha notched a 6-2 victory at the No. 2 position.
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Kilumets then won his fourth singles match in a row with a convincing 6-1, 6-0 result at the No. 1 slot over Hicham Azzaoui of DSU (5-8, 3-4 GSC). Kilumets improved his singles record to 12-6 on the year.
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Kostikov, Rawal and Rocha also went unbeaten on the day. Kostikov won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 3 singles, Rawal 6-1, 6-3 at No. 4 and Rocha 7-6, 6-2 at No. 5.
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Alcorn's sixth point came in a heated back-and-forth match at No. 6 singles. Freshman
Ivan Matas split sets with Oleg Balabko 6-3, 4-6. In the super tiebreaker, the score was tied 5-5 when Matas earned the final five points for a 10-5 final.
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It marked the second time the Braves beat the Statesmen this year after pulling out a 5-4 decision on the road on Feb. 8.
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The Lady Braves (8-13, 5-3 SWAC) made quick work of DSU (5-12, 3-5 GSC) as the match was over in an hour and 39 minutes.
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Alcorn won the doubles point in under 40 minutes as they grabbed the No. 2 and 3 spots 6-0. Sophomore
Marlene Maier and freshman
Anastasia Vaganova represented the Lady Braves at No. 2, while sophomore
Bianca Birkenstock and freshman
Veronika Pytlikova played at No. 3.
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Maier and Vaganova both saw similar success in singles as neither dropped a game. Vaganova won 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 5 position, and Maier the same at No. 6. Vaganova improved her singles record to 10-6, and Maier 8-5.
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The women clinched the match at No. 4 singles where junior
Natalia Parchowska won 6-1, 6-0.
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The Lady Braves will be back in action when they travel to Southern Miss for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Friday. The Braves will be off until Friday, April 7 when they travel to William Carey University at 2 p.m.
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The 2017 SWAC Tennis Championships is set for April 14-16 in New Orleans at the Pepsi Tennis Center.
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Men's Tennis
Alcorn 6, Delta State 1
Singles Competition
1.
Kert Kilumets (ALCN_M) def. Hicham Azzaoui (DSU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Jeoffrey Noblecourt (DSU) def.
Suyash Gupta (ALCN_M) 6-3, 6-2
3.
Nikita Kostikov (ALCN_M) def. Joao Yamacita (DSU) 6-3, 6-4
4.
Nischay Rawal (ALCN_M) def. Timo Schmitz (DSU) 6-1, 6-3
5.
Nuno Rocha (ALCN_M) def. Julian Massa (DSU) 7-6, 6-2
6.
Ivan Matas (ALCN_M) def. Oleg Balabko (DSU) 6-3, 4-6, 10-5
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Doubles Competition
1.
Kert Kilumets/
Nikita Kostikov (ALCN_M) def. Timo Schmitz/Andrew Hildenbrand (DSU) 6-0
2.
Nischay Rawal/
Nuno Rocha (ALCN_M) def. Hicham Azzaoui/Jeoffrey Noblecourt (DSU) 6-2
3. Mason Vice/Joao Yamacita (DSU) def.
Ivan Matas/
Suyash Gupta (ALCN_M) 6-2
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Women's Tennis
Alcorn 4, Delta State 0
Singles Competition
1.
Daria Chemodanova (ALCN_W) vs. Nathalia Sato (DSU) 5-4, unfinished
2.
Bianca Birkenstock (ALCN_W) vs. Alex Howe (DSU) 6-1, 2-1, unfinished
3.
Klavdija Bukovec (ALCN_W) vs. Sara Alvarez-Rubio (DSU) 3-5, unfinished
4.
Natalia Parchowska (ALCN_W) def. Sarah Nash (DSU) 6-1, 6-0
5.
Anastasia Vaganova (ALCN_W) def. Madison Wages (DSU) 6-0, 6-0
6.
Marlene Maier (ALCN_W) def. Abigail Smith (DSU) 6-0, 6-0
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Doubles Competition
1.
Daria Chemodanova/
Natalia Parchowska (ALCN_W) vs. Alex Howe/Nathalia Sato (DSU) unfinished
2.
Marlene Maier/
Anastasia Vaganova (ALCN_W) def. Sara Alvarez-Rubio/Sarah Nash (DSU) 6-0
3.
Bianca Birkenstock/
Veronika Pytlikova (ALCN_W) def. Madison Wages/Abigail Smith (DSU) 6-0
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