Third-Set Tiebreaks Key to Wednesday Sweep of UTSA

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi tennis program had a taste of championship atmosphere at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center on Wednesday when it hosted UTSA in a doubleheader for the men and women. The Islanders needed an all out effort to secure a pair of victories, 5-2 for the men and 4-3 for the women.
 
The match-clinching points for both teams came in third set tiebreakers. Kevin Bettendroffer delivered an inspired performance to take the extra session 7-3, before all eyes turned to Jelena Dzinic for the women. Tied 3-3 with the final point left, Dzinic made it a perfect day with the 9-7 victory in the tiebreaker.
 
"You cannot simulate those pressure moments and the choices that you make in a championship environment," Director of Tennis Steve Moore said. "I thought Kevin and Jelena made excellent choices. You have to keep yourself composed and attack each point with the same intensity.
 
"This team is growing. We're preparing to go into the big conference battles. This is what it's all about. We started training in September, and it's all is for the next six weeks. This group has earned the right to be confident by making the decision to do the difficult things that will allow us to be successful."
 
MEN
The Islanders (12-7) needed all three doubles matches to win the early point. Patrick Poestinger and Juri Reckow edged Kevin Bettendroffer and William Mottet at number one, 6-4.
 
Overcoming the early defeat, the Blue and Green needed an extra game in each of the remaining matches to pull out the point in doubles. Carlos Pedrosa Cuevas and Gonzalo Achondo evened the score in the third spot with a 7-5 win. Lukas Buth and Cagatay Soke put the Islanders on top 1-0 after beating Fabian Brand and Takeru Watanabe 7-5.
 
Turning to singles, Mottet continued his recent run of form to cruise to a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Poestinger at number three. Paul Cook followed suit at four by making quick work of Axel Cronje, 6-5, 6-0 to give the Islanders a three-point lead.
 
The Roadrunners (5-15) fired back with points in the sixth and second spots. Gabriel Borunda topped Gonzalo Achondo 6-3, 6-3, before Reckow outlasted Soke 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
 
Bettendroffer rallied from a set down to level his match with Kai Breitbach with a 6-2 score in the second. Neither player could gain an edge before the third-set tiebreak, which Bettendroffer dominated.

 

That winning moment! Kevin seals it in the third set! #GoDers pic.twitter.com/rvAQgRh2Et

— Islanders Tennis (@IslandersTennis) March 29, 2017

 
Providing cover if needed, Pedrosa Cuevas was all over Watanabe in the six spot going 6-1, 6-2 in the second and third sets, respectively, overcoming 7-6 tiebreaker loss in the opening set.
 
WOMEN
The Blue and Green (11-2) faced an uphill battle after doubles play. The Roadrunners (9-8) Lina Hallgren and Charleen Tiwari topped Hortense Boscher and Alexandra Belle in the third spot 6-3, before Sonia Madronal Medina and Denisa Ibrahimovic defeated Louise Trigona and Marina Vicens Miquel, 7-6.
 
The comeback began with a rout by Judit Vives at two. The Spanish international drubbed Tiwari 6-0, 6-2 to put Corpus Christi on the board. UTSA took the lead minutes later when Hallgren bested Trigona 6-4, 6-0 in the fourth spot.
 
Maria Maldonado brought the Blue and Green level with her 6-2, 6-4 win over Laura Cabrera at five.
 
UTSA was within reach of the win, as Miriam Rosell Canudas outdueled Hortense Boscher in a hard fought battle in the first spot, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.
 
The pressure fell to the two remaining Islanders still playing. Vicens Miquel set up a final set matchup for Dzinic by knocking off Kylee Kato at six 7-6, 6-3.
 
With everyone at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center focused on the final match between Dzinic and Ibrahimovic, the two players put on a tantalizing show.
 
Dzinic climbed out of one-set hole (4-6) to break Ibrahimovic's serve towards the end of the second set to win 6-4. Nothing could separate the pair as they entered a tiebreak in the third. Needing one point to win, Dzinic ripped a forehand return that all Ibrahimovic could do was send long to secure the sweep for the Blue and Green.

 

Championship atmosphere for the ??as Jelena seals the win! #GoDers pic.twitter.com/uprIs8gdVj

— Islanders Tennis (@IslandersTennis) March 29, 2017

NEXT UP NEW ORLEANS
The Islanders will head to New Orleans for a Southland Conference showdown on Sunday. Both matches begin at 11 a.m.