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Blythe Buntrock
3
Central Oklahoma UCO (5-7 (1-3))
4
Winner Washburn WU (13-3 (3-1))
Central Oklahoma UCO
(5-7 (1-3))
3
Final
4
Washburn WU
(13-3 (3-1))
Winner

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Chris Brannick

UCO Misses Upset Bid By Smallest Of Margins

Central Oklahoma Lost 4-3 At Washburn, Which Is Ranked 14th In The Country

TOPEKA, Kan. – Central Oklahoma narrowly missed a major upset Friday afternoon, falling 4-3 at No. 14 Washburn in an MIAA dual.
 
UCO dropped the doubles point with three straight losses, then fell behind 2-0 after a loss at No. 5 singles. But the Bronchos responded in a big way, winning at No. 2 and No. 3 to tie the match.
 
Central took a 3-2 lead thanks to a three-set win at No. 4 singles. Then Washburn tied the match with a three-set win at No. 6 singles.  
 
It all came down to No. 1 singles. It all came down to a matchup of two nationally ranked individuals in Nefeli Zafeiri (No. 69 in the ITA Top 75), Maja Jung, the fith-ranked player in the country. Jung took the first 7-5, then Zafeiri forced the third with a 6-4 win.
 
The third was closer than both of the first two, with the battle knotted 6-6. Jung took the final point of a 7-3 tiebreaker to earn the win, and Washburn's fourth point for the 4-3 victory.
 
The Bronchos are now 5-7 on the season and 1-3 in the MIAA.
 
Blythe Buntrock and Pete Komada, ranked 24th in the ITA Doubles Top 50, dropped a 6-2 match at No. 1 doubles against Washburn's seventh-ranked Jung and Lara Schmid. Zafeiri and Ayaka Koga lost 6-3 at No. 2 doubles and Karyna Yurchenko and Anika Ouwejan lost 6-4 at No. 3 doubles.
 
Ouwejan fell in singles play too, going down 6-4, 6-1. Komada, ranked 60th nationally, started the UCO rally with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles. Buntrock followed with a 7-5, 6-1 win to tie the match, 2-2. Yurchenko pulled out the 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) three-set win at No. 4 singles to give the Bronchos the lead. Koga's 1-6, 6-4, 2-6 three-set loss at No. 6 singles tied the match again, 3-3, before the big finale with Zafeiri.
 
Central Oklahoma has a quick turnaround and will face another top-ranked opponent. The Bronchos visit No. 19 Northwest Missouri Saturday morning.
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