April 22, 2005

FORT WORTH, Texas - After capturing the doubles point, the Tulane women's tennis team recorded three singles wins to defeat UAB, 4-0, in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Women's Tennis Tournament Friday afternoon in Fort Worth.

With its 13th consecutive win, the top-seeded Green Wave (21-5, 3-0) advances to Saturday's semifinals to face the tournament's third seed, USF, which earned a 4-1 victory over Louisville on Friday afternoon. In a meeting between USF and Tulane earlier this season, the Wave came away with a 5-2 triumph in Tampa.

After earning a bye in the opening round, the 16th-ranked Wave dominated the doubles as Julie Smekodub and Jenny Kuehn, the nation's No. 35 doubles pair, picked up an 8-2 on court two while Ana Saaibi and Nancy Kockott notched a shutout, 8-0, at third doubles.

Heading to singles competition with a 1-0 advantage, Tulane sealed a spot in the semifinals with three singles victories. Maria Ivanov tallied the win at No. 1, 6-2, 6-1, over the Blazers' Gulsah Esen while sister Darya used similar scores, 6-1, 6-2, in her victory on court four over Samrin Tanzeem. Smekodub's 6-3, 6-4 straight set win at No. 3 provided the fourth point, and clinched the match for the Wave.

"The Ivanovs (Maria and Darya) both played very well today, particularly in their singles matches," head coach David Schumacher said. "It was very windy, but they did not let it affect their game as they both came away with decisive wins.

"Tomorrow's match will be a challenge for us," Schumacher added. "USF is solid team that has been playing very well."

Saturday's semifinal match between No. 51 USF and No. 16 Tulane, which has won the last two C-USA Championships, starts at noon at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Tomorrow's semifinal appearance marks the ninth straight trip by the Green Wave to the league's semifinal contest.

No. 16 Tulane 4, UAB 0
4/22/05 - Conference USA Championship Quarterfinals
Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center - Fort Worth, Texas

Singles
1. No. 124 Maria Ivanov (TU) def. Gulsah Esen (UAB): 6-2, 6-1
2. No. 53 Jenny Kuehn (TU) vs. Ornischa Maier-Knapp (UAB): Did Not Finish
3. Julie Smekodub (TU) def. Julia von Samson (UAB): 6-3, 6-4
4. Darya Ivanov (TU) def. Samrin Tanzeem (UAB): 6-1, 6-2
5. No. 108 Nancy Kockott (TU) vs. Annemieka Elsholz (UAB): Did Not Finish
6. Ana Saaibi (TU) vs. Antonia Nugent (UAB): Did Not Finish

Doubles
1. No. 40 Ivanov/Ivanov (TU) vs. Esen/Maier-Knapp (UAB): DNF
2. No. 35 Smekodub/Kuehn (TU) def. Elshoz/von Samson (UAB): 8-2
3. Saaibi/Kockott (TU) def. Tanzeem/Jana Wild (UAB): 8-0