Redbirds Win Third Straight With 6-1 Victory Over Bradley

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – On what was a busy day of tennis at the Evergreen Racquet Club on Sunday, the Illinois State women's tennis team won its third match in a row and improved to 4-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play with a 6-1 win over rival Bradley.

Bradley took the early advantage by winning the doubles point to start things off. The Braves picked up a 6-2 win at the No. 3 spot, before ISU's No. 2 tandem of Nevena Kolarevic and Silvia Pomarolli defeated Maria Bezmenova and Mariia Pukhina by a final of 6-2 to knot things up. However, Bradley would secure the first point of the match when it picked up a 6-4 win at the No. 1 spot to take the doubles point.

Little did Bradley know that would be its lone point of the match, as the Redbirds rebounded from the early disappointment to win all six singles matches to run away with the victory. Lana Caculovic was first on the board with her win over Anna Belogliadova 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 2 spot, and that win was quickly followed by one at No. 6 by Sofia Rodrigo over Alexandra Hildreth 6-3, 6-1. Tijana Zlatanovic would then make it 3-1 in favor of the Redbirds with a quick 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Bezmenova at the No. 1 spot.

The match would be clinched by Nuria Sanz at No. 5, who was trailing in her match when Bradley's Pukhina had to retire from the match due to injury. Pomarolli would make it 5-1 with her three-set tiebreaker win over Andra Sirbu 5-7, 6-1, 11-9 at the No. 4 spot and the final point of the day would come from Kolarevic on court No. 3, as she won a first set tiebreaker 7-6 (7-3) and the cruised in the second set 6-1 to bring the score to its final at 6-1.a

The Redbirds will look to keep their MVC winning streak alive next weekend in Iowa, when ISU faces off against Northern Iowa on Saturday and Drake on Sunday.

FINAL SCORE: Illinois State (6), Bradley (1)

Doubles: 
No. 1 Kirstin Hailey/Andra Sirbu (BU) def. Lana Caculovic/Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) 6-4
No. 2 Nevena Kolarevic/Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) def. Maria Bezmenova/Mariia Pukhina (BU) 6-2
No. 3 Anna Belogliadova/Alexandra Hildreth (BU) def. Zoe Limparis/Nuria Sanz (ILS) 6-2

Singles:
No. 1 Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) def. Maria Bezmenova (BU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 Lana Caculovic (ILS) def. Anna Belogliadova (BU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 Nevena Kolarevic (ILS) def. Kirstin Hailey (BU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
No. 4 Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) def. Andra Sirbu (BU) 5-7, 6-1, 11-9
No. 5 Nuria Sanz (ILS) def. Mariia Pukhina (BU) 3-6, 4-3 (by retirement)
No. 6 Sofia Rodrigo (ILS) def. Alexandra Hildreth (BU) 6-3, 6-1

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