PLANO, Texas – Sophomore Guzal Yusupova pulled out a three-set victory to lift Washington State to a 4-3 win over North Texas Sunday afternoon in a match played indoors due to weather at the Lifetime Fitness Complex.
 
With the win the Cougars move to 7-3 on the season while North Texas falls to 2-6.
 
The Cougars captured the opening doubles point then the first two singles matches to take a 3-0 lead, then held on as Yusupova rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third set before capturing five of the final seven games for a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 win over Tamuna Kutubidze at No. 2 singles.
 
For the second-straight day, doubles came down to No. 2, and for the second-straight day, WSU's Aneta Miksovska and Lejla Colic pulled out the victory to clinch the point. The duo defeated Alexis Thoma and Alexandra Heczey 6-4 to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead heading into singles. North Texas found a win a No. 1 when Maria Kononova and Kutubidze defeated Barbora Michalkova and Victoria Matejevic while WSU's No. 3 team of Yusupova and Melisa Ates had no trouble defeating Haruka Sasaki and Laura Arciniegas, 6-2.
 
As singles began, the Cougars captured two quick victories as Ates rolled to a 7-5, 6-0 win over Heczey at No. 5 while Miksovska had no trouble in defeating Sasaki at No. 4, 6-2, 6-0.
 
At No. 1 singles Kononova needed three sets to defeat Michalkova, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, which started a string of three-set wins for the Mean Green. The final three matches on court were in the third set and North Texas made things interesting as Thomas came from behind to defeat Matejevic, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 at No. 3 and Arciniegas needed a third-set tiebreaker to get past Colic, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), at No. 6, setting the stage for Yusupova.
 
The Cougars return to Hollingbery Fieldhouse Saturday when they host Fresno State. Match time is set for 11 a.m.
 
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State vs. North Texas
February 19, 2017
Waranch Tennis Complex
Denton, Texas
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Maria Kononova/Tamuna Kutubidze (NT) def. Barbora Michalkova/Victoria Matejevic (WSU) 6-1
No. 2 Aneta Miksovska/Lejla Colic (WSU) def. Alexis Thoma/Alexandra Heczey (NT) 6-4
No. 3 Guzal Yusupova/Melisa Ates (WSU) def. Haruka Sasaki/Laura Arciniegas (NT) 6-2
Order of Finish: 1,3,2
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Maria Kononova (NT) def. Barbora Michalkova (WSU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
No. 2 Guzal Yusupova (WSU) def. Tamuna Kutubidze (NT) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
No. 3 Alexis Thoma (NT) def. Victoria Matejevic (WSU) 5-7, 6-1, 7-5
No. 4 Aneta Miksovska (WSU) def. Haruka Sasaki (NT) 6-2, 6-0
No. 5 Melisa Ates (WSU) def. Alexandra Heczey (NT) 7-5, 6-0
No. 6 Laura Arciniegas (NT) def. Lejla Colic (WSU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4)
Order of Finish: 5,4,1,3,6,2