Norfolk, Va. - The Georgia State women's tennis team (4-10, 2-0 CAA) has won two-straight matches for the first time this season after defeating No. 68 Old Dominion (13-7), 4-3, on Friday afternoon. Diana Nakic, ranked 28th nationally, won in straight sets against No. 19 Nadine Fahoum, 6-2, 6-2. Nakic improves to 14-0 on the season and still has yet to lose a single set.
Georgia State started the match by losing two of the three doubles matches to drop the doubles point. The team of Diana Nakic/Linda Hricistova were able to salvage a victory at No. 1 doubles defeating Nadine Fahoum/Julianna Pires, 8-5.
The Panthers started its comeback after winning at No. 1 and No. 3 singles to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Nakic continued her perfect season and Junior Katerina Gresova won in straight sets over Irina Dementyeva, 7-6, 6-2. Gresova is now 2-0 in conference play and 6-7 overall on the season.
Sophomore Linda Hricistova also won her second conference match of the season with a three-set win at No. 5 singles. Hricistova won the last two sets, 6-4, 6-3 to earn her third win of the season.
With the match even at 3-3 the deciding match came down to freshman Tereza Lerova. After dropping the first set 4-6, Lerova battled back to win the last two sets, 6-4, 6-2 to clinch the match for the Panthers. Lerova is 2-0 in conference play and 5-9 overall on the season.
"The team really stepped it up after losing the doubles point, it was going to take a team effort and they took it upon themselves to make it happen today." "Diana (Nakic) is really playing solid for us at the top of our lineup, and continues to be the cornerstone in our lineup," said head coach Miha Lisac.
"We have been making progress in the last couple of weeks and it is starting to show on the court, Katerina (Gresova) has played very well and Tereza (Lerova) has come on strong being just a freshman." "Even though the results haven't shown Kir (Kemp) has shown a lot of improvement over the last couple of matches and with Linda (Hricistova) being healthy again we are a tough team to beat right now." This was nothing but a team effort and tomorrow is another big match for us against #24 VCU," added Lisac.
Georgia State returns to action tomorrow when they face its toughest opponent of the season in No. 24 VCU in Richmond, Va. at 2 p.m.
Georgia State (4-10, 2-0 CAA) defeated Old Dominion (13-7), 4-3
Doubles
No. 1 Diana Nakic/Linda Hricistova (GSU) def. Nadine Fahoum/Julianna Pires (ODU), 8-6
No. 2 Irina Dementyeva/Joanna Dobrowolska (ODU), def. Tereza Lerova/Katerina Gresova (GSU), 8-5
No. 3 Diana Ivanova/Marija Citic (ODU) def. Kir Kemp/Lindsay Hearn (GSU), 8-4
Singles
No. 1 #28 Diana Nakic (GSU) def. #19 Nadine Fahoum (ODU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 Joanna Dobrowolska def. Kir Kemp (GSU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 3 Katerina Gresova def. Irina Dementyeva, 7-6, 6-2
No. 4 Tereza Lerova def. Diana Ivanova, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 Linda Hricistova def. Julianna Pires, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 Marija Citic def. Lindsay Hearn, 6-2, 6-0
