CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Austin Peay State University women's tennis team's 2022-23 and inaugural ASUN Conference season came to an end following a 4-3 loss to Liberty in ASUN Women's Tennis Championship Quarterfinals, Sunday, at the Governors Tennis Courts.
Despite battling back to tie the match three times, Austin Peay (16-7) was unable to complete the comeback in a contest that totaled five three-set matches and three tiebreakers, including two in the deciding No. 2 singles match.
Denise Torrealba and Sophia Baranov gave APSU the early doubles advantage following their 6-1 win against Liberty's Maretha Burger and Bruna Sampaio. The win was their 10th of the spring and improved them to 10-3.
Shortly after Torrealba and Baranov's result, Asia Fontana and Yu-Hua Cheng fell in a 6-4 decision in No. 3 doubles and led to them finishing the season 6-4 while exclusively playing on the No. 3 court.
The Govs' No. 1 pairing of Jana Leder and Melody Hefti dropped a 7-4 tiebreaker from the No. 1 court, resulting in Liberty claiming the first point of the afternoon. Leder and Hefti finished the season APSU's top doubles pairing, garnering a 15-6 mark from the top line.
Trailing 1-0 after dropping doubles, Cheng tied the match following her 6-1, 6-1 win from the No. 5 court. The win – her ninth of the season – marked the eighth time she defeated her opponent in straight sets. The two games allowed also were tied for her third-fewest allowed this season and fourth-fewest allowed across her career.
The Flames regained their advantage following a 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 win against Leder in No. 1 singles. The loss was just Leder's fifth of the season and second in a three-set decision. The Remchingen, Germany native finished her redshirt junior campaign with 16 singles wins.
After dropping a 6-2 first set, Baranov came back to win her second and third sets, 6-4, 6-3, respectively, earning her team-best 18th win and improving to 18-2 on the season. Baranov finished her freshman campaign by winning 18 of her last 19 matches.
Hefti fell in a three-set decision in No. 3 singles, also resulting in just her fifth loss of the season, as Liberty took a 3-2 lead with just two matches remaining. The St. Gallen, Switzerland native finished her freshman season with a 17-5 singles record and an 8-2 mark against ASUN opponents.
After splitting her first two sets on the No. 6 court, Fontana earned her 14th win of the season following a 6-3 third-set victory, improving to 8-2 against the ASUN.
Each of Torrealba's first two sets went to a tiebeaker, with the sophomore winning the first set's 7-5, but dropping the second, 7-3. Despite facing a 4-0 deficit in the third set, the Neu-Isenburg native cut Liberty's lead to 4-3, but was unable to complete the comeback and dropped the deciding set, 6-4. Torrealba finished her sophomore season with 10 singles wins.
Results vs. Liberty
Doubles
- Tiffany Nguyen / Maria Juliana Parra Romero def. Jana Leder/ Melody Hefti def. Katsiaryn Tuliakova, 7-6 (7-4)
- Sophia Baranov / Denise Torrealba def. Maretha Burger / Bruna Sampaio, 6-1
- Marina Davytan / Esther Lovato def. Asia Fontana / Yu-Hua Cheng, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
- Maria Juliana Parra Romero def. Jana Leder 6-1, 0-6, 6-4
- Marina Davytan def. Denise Torrealba, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
- Esther Lovato def. Melody Hefti, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
- Sophia Baranov def. Tiffany Nguyen, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
- Yu-Hua Cheng def. Elsa Kirch, 6-1, 6-1
- Asia Fontana def. Maretha Burger, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Order of finish: 5, 1, 4, 3, 6, 2*
