Sept. 29, 2002

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Led by Lorena Arias, the Washington State tennis team won two singles and two doubles championships at United States Air Force Academy Invitational, Sunday.

Arias, a junior from Mexico City, beat Dominique Lemperle of Colorado for the flight one championship, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-5. Lasting over four hours, their match was an epic battle. Arias fought off two match points with Lemperle serving at 5-4 in the third.

The Cougars dominated flight three, earning the top three places. Orsolya Sallai beat fellow Cougar Zorana Roganovic in the title match of the flight, 6-4, 6-3. Roganovic earned second place, and teammate Zsofi Fodor took third place after beating Oklahoma's Joi-Lee Beachler, 6-2, 6-2.

In flight two, WSU's Chris Martinez took second after losing 7-6, 6-4 to Oklahoma's Bethany Griffin for the title.

Sophomore Nora Gaal took fifth place in flight one with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Denver's Jenny Trettin.

In doubles play, the flight one title will go to WSU as Arias and Martinez will square off against Fodor and Gaal later this week. Since Arias' singles match went so long, WSU decided to play the match at home (Stadium Way Tennis Center) at a later date.

Sallai teamed with Melanie Humphrey to beat Adriana Boykova and Tea Spirta of Texas-El Paso, 8-4

The Cougars return to action Oct. 10 at the All-America Invitational in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

SINGLES

Flight One

Lorena Arias (WSU) def. Laura Nigro (UTEP), 6-3, 7-6 Dominique Lemperle (Colorado) def. Nora Gaal (WSU), 7-5, 6-1 Lorena Arias (WSU) def. Lia Dimingo (Colorado), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Nora Gaal (WSU) def. Katherine Bushey (Air Force), 6-2, 6-3

Sunday CHAMPIONSHIP Lorena Arias (WSU) d. Dominique Lemperle (Colorado), 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5 THIRD PLACE Nora Gaal (WSU) d. Jenny Trettin (Denver), 6-2, 6-4

Flight Two Chris Martinez (WSU) def. Heather Shelby (Air Force), 6-1, 6-4 Chris Martinez (WSU) def. Kendra Strandemo (Colorado), 6-2, 6-2

Consolation Yuliani Santi (Wyoming) def. Melanie Humphrey (WSU), 6-4, 6-1 Morgan Sall (Colorado) def. Melanie Humphrey (WSU), 4-6, 6-1, 6-3

Sunday CHAMPIONSHIP Bethany Griffin (Oklahoma) d. Chris Martinez (WSU), 7-6, 6-4

Flight Three Orsi Sallai (WSU) def. Gina Black (Air Force), 6-4, 6-4 Zorana Roganovic (WSU) def. Jessica Braver (Oklahoma), 6-2, 6-2 Zsofi Fodor (WSU) def. Susan Johnson (Colorado), 6-4, 6-2 Orsi Sallai (WSU) def. Joi-Lee Beachler (Oklahoma), 6-2, 6-1 Zorana Roganovic (WSU) def. Zsofi Fodor (WSU), 6-4, 6-2

Sunday CHAMPIONSHIP Orsi Sallai (WSU) d. Zorana Roganovic (WSU), 6-4, 6-3 THIRD PLACE Zsofi Fodor (WSU) d. Joi-Lee Beachler (Oklahoma), 6-2, 6-2

DOUBLES

Flight One Lorena Arias/Chris Martinez (WSU) def. Kati Gyulai/Patricia Chien (Wyoming), 8-1 Zsofi Fodor/Nora Gaal (WSU) def. Laura Nigro/Gina Black (Air Force), 9-7

Sunday (To be played at later date in Pullman) Lorena Arias/Chris Martinez (WSU) vs. Zsofi Fodor/Nora Gaal (WSU)-CHAMPIONSHIP

Flight Two Melanie Humphrey/Orsi Sallai (WSU) def. Zorana Roganovic (WSU)/Megan Williams (Wyoming), 8-4

Sunday CHAMPIONSHIP Melanie Humphrey/Orsi Sallai (WSU) d. Adriana Boykova/Tea Spirta (UTEP), 8-4 THIRD PLACE Zorana Roganovic (WSU)/Megan Williams (Wyoming) d Heather Saluri/Joi-Lee Beachler (Oklahoma), 9-8

-GO COUGS-