LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Playing as a ranked team for the first time in four seasons, No. 55 UNLV women's tennis looked the part in a 4-0 blanking of in-state rival UNR on a hot Friday afternoon at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
The Rebels won their fourth straight, improving to 15-3 overall and 7-2 in the league while the Wolf Pack fell to 8-9 and 3-6.
As part of the Silver State Series presented by America First Credit Union, UNLV set itself up to earn three more points in the all-encompassing athletics competition but first must wait to see if the teams face each other in next week's Mountain West Championship.
Doubles was over quickly as UNLV took the first two completed matches. Molly Helgesson and Salsa Aher won 6-1 at the top spot and Cindy Hu and Coco Zhao won 6-2 on court two to improve to 16-0 in dual matches this season.
The Rebels stayed hot in single play, taking the first set on all six courts. Aura Fang at the bottom of the lineup was off first, taking care of Audrey Moutama, 6-2, 6-1; Zhao downed Wiem Boubaker, 6-1, 7-6, at No. 5 to up her sophomore record to an eye-popping 18-2; and then Super Senior Helgesson closed things out with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Anastasia Luneva at No. 1.
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Zhao remained perfect in Mountain West action, improving to 8-0 in singles and 6-0 in singles vs. league opponents.
UP NEXT: UNLV closes out its regular season with a Senior Day league match vs. San Jose State starting at 1 p.m. Helgesson will be honored in a ceremony before the first serve. Admission to all matches is free of charge.
Women's Tennis Match Results
#55 UNLV 4, UNR 0
April 21, 2023, at Las Vegas
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1.
Molly Helgesson (UNLV) def. Luneva, Anastasia (UNR) 6-3, 7-5
2.
Zita Kovacs (UNLV) vs. Charrier, Amahee (UNR) 6-2, 5-7, 3-2, unfinished
3.
Salsa Aher (UNLV) vs. Guerbert, Lou-Anne (UNR) 6-4, 3-4, unfinished
4.
Cindy Hu (UNLV) vs. Campino, Mariana (UNR) 6-1, 6-7, unfinished
5.
Coco Zhao (UNLV) def. Boubaker, Wiem (UNR) 6-1, 7-6
6.
Aura Fang (UNLV) def. Moutama, Audrey (UNR) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition
1.
Salsa Aher/
Molly Helgesson (UNLV) def. Moutama, Audrey/Luneva, Anastasia (UNR) 6-1
2.
Cindy Hu/
Coco Zhao (UNLV) def. Charrier, Amahee/Guerbert, Lou-Anne (UNR) 6-2
3.
Zita Kovacs/
Aura Fang (UNLV) vs. Campino, Mariana/Charalampidi, G. (UNR) 5-2, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles