WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State women's tennis team clinched its eighth doubles point this season, on the way to a 4-3 win over No. 39 SMU Friday at the Wichita Country Club.

HEAD COACH COLIN FOSTER ON...
...winning the doubles point for the eighth time this season:
"Once again, the doubles point was important as it always is - and we've continued to play really confident, aggressive high-level doubles. That continues to be a brights spot, and we will continue to improve in that area. That was a big point once again.

...singles play:
"I was really proud of the way everyone played with composure - their were a lot of three-setters. In some three-setters earlier in the season - especially at deuce or in the big moments- you could tell we didn't quite have the belief that we were going to get it done in those moments. Today, and of late, we have. That's going to continue to make a difference and allow us to be in the win column in a lot of matches like that. Sandra (Honigova)'s was just a really physical match, as it always is for her. She's just in great shape and has been playing well. That was a big point to get on the board. Esther (Thebault) continues to play at a really good level, being a newcomer coming in and playing at No. 2- just is unfazed by those situations. She's a really good player. She's continuing to show that consistently this semester. Sarvinoz (Saidhujaeva) to clinch it - got down a set and got right back to in the second set and kept plugging away- and that's the kind of win across the board that we are proud of. "

DOUBLES
Wichita State clinched its eighth doubles point of the season, claiming wins on courts two and three. LingWei Kong and Ting-Ya Hsu, playing on court three, claimed their fifth-straight win over Karina Traxler and Tiffany Hollebeck, 6-3. Sandra Honigova and Marta Bellucco moved to 5-1 on the season with a 6-4 win over Vivienne Kulicke and Ana Perez-Lopez on court two. Esther Thebault and Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva led No. 55-ranked Liza Buss and Anzhelika Shapovalova on court one (5-4) before play was suspended.
 
SINGLES
Shapovalova got the Mustangs on the board in singles play, knocking off Bellucco in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. After losing a tiebreaker first set to Perez-Lopez, (7-6(4)), Kong battled back to take the second set, 6-4. Perez-Lopez rolled in the third (6-0) to give SMU an early 2-1 lead.
 
The Shockers showed fight in flights one and two, winning both in three sets. Honigova, who entered the singles rankings at No. 118 this week, took on Liza Buss in the top flight. The Shockers' lone senior rolled in the first set (6-2) before Buss came back to take the second, 6-0. Honigova fought in the third, winning 6-3 over No. 90 Buss to give tie the match at two.  
 
Thebault gave the Shockers a 3-2 advantage, knocking off No. 117 Kulicke in the second slot. The junior from France led 5-4 in the first before Kulicke rallied to take the final three games. Thebault showed resiliency in the second and third sets, winning (6-4, 6-3).
 
The fifth flight match between Saidhujaeva and Katherine Jakeway was one to watch. After dropping the first set (6-2), the junior was down early in the second before storming back to take the second, and force a decisive third. Saidhujaeva and Jakeway traded games early and often in the third set, before Saidhujaeva came away with her fourth-straight in the fifth flight win to clinch the match for the Shockers. Nicole Petchey defeated Hsu in the sixth flight, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
 
Match Notes
- After a 1-4 start to the season, WSU has reeled off five-straight wins.
- The Shockers have clinched the doubles point in eight of their 10 matches this season
- Sandra Honigova broke into the ITA/Oracle Singles Rankings at No. 118, and has won six matches in a row in the top slot – including a win over No. 90 Liza Buss
-Bellucco/Honigova and Hsu/Kong are both 5-1 in flights two and three
 
 

---

Wichita State 4, #39 SMU 3
 
Doubles Results
1.  Esther Thebault/Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) vs. #55 Liza Buss/Anzhelika Shapovalova (SMU), 5-3, uf.
2.  Sandra Honigova/ Marta Bellucco (WSU) vs. Vivienne Kulicke/Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU), 6-4
3.  LingWei Kong/Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU) def. Karina Traxler/Tiffany Hollebeck (SMU), 6-3
 
Singles Results
1. #118 Sandra Honigova def. #90 Liza Buss (SMU), 6-2, 0-6, 6-3
2. Esther Thebault (WSU) def. #117 Vivienne Kulicke (SMU), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
3. Anzhelika Shapovalova (SMU) def. Marta Bellucco (WSU), 6-3, 6-3
4. Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU) def. LingWei Kong (WSU), 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-0
5. Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva (WSU) def. Katherine Jakeway (SMU), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
6. Nicole Petchey (SMU) def. Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU), 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
 
Match Notes:
SMU 4-5; National Ranking #39
Wichita State 6-4
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3, 4, 1, 2, 5, 6)