CONWAY, Ark. – The University of Central Arkansas tennis program dropped two matches on a drizzly Friday afternoon against both North Texas and Southeastern Missouri State. The losses drop UCA to 4-5 on the season.
The Mean Green of North Texas jumped out to a 1-0 lead after clutching up in doubles play. The tandem of Sumomo Hamanaga and Seohyun Park were able to secure a doubles victory, 6-4, to set up the Bears with a chance to get out in front in the home opener. However, the pair of Nanoka Kazama and Vichitraporn Vimuktananda were unable to seal the early point, relinquishing a 3-0 lead and eventually losing in the tiebreak.
In singles play, Vimuktananda picked up where she's left off, winning her seventh singles match of the season. Konomi Miyakawa darted out to a 6-0 first set before closing out the No. 4 singles player for the Mean Green, 7-5 in the second set. Outside of that, the Bears were unable to get the best of North Texas. The match was suspended in the middle of singles play due to rain, and the two teams picked back up at Burns Park in Little Rock.
In the second match of the day, now indoors, SEMO ran away with things in the afternoon match. Pressed for time, the teams elected to start with singles play, and it was there that the Redhawks showed some dominance. Vimuktananda and Park were the closest in their matches, but SEMO was able to nab 5 points in singles play, so the two teams elected to not partake in doubles play. This is now the third straight season that the Redhawks have gotten the better of the Bears, while UCA still holds the lead in the series, 5-3
The Bears will welcome former ASUN foe Jacksonville State back to Conway on Sunday, February 25th at 11:00 a.m.
UCA 2 – UNT 4
Doubles:
Kazama / Vimuktananda vs. Halrvorsen/Nformi 7-6
Harune Shigemasu / Miyakawa vs. Chalard/Schultz 6-3
Hamanaga / Park vs. Shulzhenko/Adati 6-4
Singles:
Vimuktananda vs. Malm 6-4, 7-6
Kazama vs. Shulzhenko 6-0, 6-0
Hamanaga vs. Chalard 6-2, 4-6, 7-6
Miyakawa vs. Halvorsen 6-0, 7-5
Ting-An Chen vs. Laydner 6-2, DNF
Shigemasu vs. Schultz 6-4, 6-1
UCA 0 – SEMO 5
Singles:
Vimuktananda vs. Calinescu 6-4, 6-3
Kazama vs. Hlacikova 6-3, 6-2
Miyakawa vs. Talieu 6-0, 6-3
Chen vs. Lai 6-0, 6-1
Shigemasu vs. Bajorek 5-7, 6-3, DNF
Park vs. Valeeva 6-4, 6-4
