OXFORD, Miss. — The No. 23 Vanderbilt women’s tennis team moved on to the quarterfinals of the 2012 SEC Women’s Tennis Tournament, defeating Mississippi State, 4-0, on Thursday, April 19.
With Mississippi State not fielding a third doubles paring or a fifth or sixth singles player, the Commodores faced a relatively clear path to victory. Just one win at doubles gave Vanderbilt the doubles point and with the points from five and six singles, they needed just one other singles win to take the match.
The top doubles combination of Jackie Wu and Lauren Mira allowed Vanderbilt to jump to a 1-0 lead, defeating Mississippi State’s Alexandra Perper and Naomi Tran, 8-5.
The match at number two doubles, which paired Vanderbilt’s Ashleigh Antal and Marie Casares against the Bulldogs’ Rosaline Dion and Petra Ferancova, was abandoned while it was tied at 6.
The Commodores then opened singles by taking victories by default at five and six singles. Megan Gornet got the win at five, while Elizabeth Lillie got the win at six.
Lillie statistically records her first career win. She is a former Commodore soccer player who has exhausted her eligibility on the pitch and is completing her senior year on the tennis team.
Then at number one singles, Wu was leading Perper, 6-1, in the opening set when Perper retired to give the Commodores the 4-0 victory.
The Commodores move on to the quarterfinals where they will take on the fourth-seeded host, Ole Miss, at 3:00 p.m. CT on Friday, April 20.
Results – #23 Vanderbilt 4, Mississippi State 0
April 19, 2012 – Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center (Oxford, Miss.)
2012 SEC Tournament First Round
Singles
1. #41 Jackie Wu (VU) def. Alexandra Preper (MSU), 6-1, Wu won by retirement*
2. #86 Lauren Mira (VU) led Naomi Tran (MSU), 4-2 (abandoned)
3. Petra Ferancova (MSU) led Marie Casares (VU), 3-2 (abandoned)
4. Nelly Radeva (VU) led Rosaline Dion (MSU), 6-1 (abandoned)
5. Megan Gornet (VU) vs. MSU by default
6. Elizabeth Lillie (VU) def. MSU by default
*Clinched match
Doubles
1. Jackie Wu/Lauren Mira (VU) def. Alexandra Perper/Naomi Tran (MSU), 8-5*
2. Ashleigh Antal/Marie Casares (VU) vs. Rosaline Dion/Petra Ferancova (MSU), 6-6 (abandoned)
3. Megan Gornet/Nelly Radeva (VU) def. MSU by default
*Clinched doubles point
Order of Finish
Singles: 5, 6, 1 (2, 3, 4 abandoned)
Doubles: 3, 1 (2 abandoned)
