Conway – A record-setting performance from
QiLi Ma and
Rada Manataweewat highlighted another strong performance from the Central Arkansas women's tennis team. After Central Arkansas opened the day with a celebration of seniors
Amiru Shimoguchi and
Hee-Jin Oh, the pair picked up their 51
st career doubles win, setting a new program record as the Sugar Bears took down Stephen F. Austin 5-2.
Ma and Manataweewat, who have spent the last three seasons as a doubles pair for Central Arkansas (14-5, 7-3 SLC), set a new standard in doubles play for the Sugar Bears, earning their 51
st career win in the 60
th match they have played together, pushing their program-best winning percentage to .852 with a 6-1 win over Kaja Ljubic and Sian Payne in the number two doubles match.
Rada Manataweewat (Left) and QiLi Ma Set a Central Arkansas
Record With Their 51st Doubles Win on Sunday
After the Ladyjacks (2-17, 1-9 SLC) got a 6-3 win from Darinka Tiboldi and Nida Kamal in the number one match, Shimoguchi and Oh secured the doubles point for the Sugar Bears, defeating Gabi Guilarte and Armelle Cerdan 6-4 in the number three contest.
Marli Van Heerden would open the singles contest with a point for the Sugar Bears, winning the first set of the number five match and taking a 3-0 lead in the second set before Ljubic was forced to retire, giving Van Heerden her 15
th win of the season.
Pornpawee Pramethong extended the UCA lead in the top slot, defeating Guilarte 7-6 (5), 6-1 for her 10
th win of the season, before Shimoguchi added a 6-2, 6-3 win, her 10
th of the year, over Cerdan at the number four slot. Ma would add a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Payne in the number three match for her seventh win, before SFA got a 6-3, 6-7, 10-5 win from Tiboldi in the number two tilt and a 6-7, 6-4, 10-5 victory from Vera Carvalho at the number six position to close out the match.
The Sugar Bears will wrap up the regular season on Friday, traveling to Belton, Texas to take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 1:00 PM, before heading to Beaumont, Texas for the Southland Conference Tournament, which begins on Friday, April 27
th and concludes on Sunday, April 29
th.