SAN DIEGO (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV women's tennis defeated three consecutive ranked opponents in one week for the first time in history after a decisive 4-1 victory over No. 67 Fresno State on a gorgeous Saturday on the campus of San Diego State.
Playing a neutral-site Mountain West match at the Aztec Tennis Center, the Rebels improved to 14-3 overall and 6-2 in the league while the Bulldogs fell to 9-10 and 3-4.
UNLV, which won all three ranked matches away from home -- downed No. 61 Colorado State last Sunday and No. 42 San Diego State just yesterday.
The Rebels wasted no time in taking the lead against Fresno State, winning both completed doubles matches. Molly Helgesson and Salsa Aher won 6-4 at No. 1 and Cindy Hu after Coco Zhao and Cindy Hu coasted 6-1 on court two.
UNLV kept the momentum going in singles play, winning the first set on five of six courts.
Aher was first off the court, downing Carolina Piferi, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 3; Zita Kovacs made it 3-0 with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Matilde Magrini at No. 2; and Zhao continued to dominate, improving to 17-2 in singles as a sophomore with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Mariya Vyshkina on court five to end things.
UP NEXT: UNLV returns home for its final pair of Mountain West matches next weekend, starting with in-state rival UNR on Friday starting at 1 p.m. Admission to all matches is free of charge.
Women's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, #67 FRESNO STATE 1
April 15, 2023, at San Diego, CA
(Aztec Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Molly Helgesson (UNLV-W) vs. JITTAKOAT, Pang (FS) 6-0, 2-6, 4-2, unfinished
2. Zita Kovacs (UNLV-W) def. MAGRINI, Matilde (FS) 6-1, 6-2
3. Salsa Aher (UNLV-W) def. PIFERI, Carolina (FS) 6-3, 6-0
4. FLAQUER, Cristina (FS) def. Cindy Hu (UNLV-W) 6-4, 6-2
5. Coco Zhao (UNLV-W) def. VYSHKINA, Mariya (FS) 6-2, 6-2
6. Aura Fang (UNLV-W) vs. NONNIS MARZANO, C. (FS) 7-6, 1-0, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Salsa Aher/Molly Helgesson (UNLV-W) def. PIFERI, Carolina/JITTAKOAT, Pang (FS) 6-4
2. Cindy Hu/Coco Zhao (UNLV-W) def. NONNIS MARZANO, C./SAFI, M. (FS) 6-1
3. Aura Fang/Zita Kovacs (UNLV-W) vs. FLAQUER, Cristina/VYSHKINA, Mariya (FS) 5-3, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,2,4,5)
