Richmond Upsets UMass 4-3 Advancing To A-10 Semifinals

Thursday, April 25

Orlando, FL (USTA National Campus)

6PM

University of Richmond

#3 UMass (A-10 Quarterfinals)

Richmond Upsets UMass 4-3 Advancing To A-10 Semifinals

04/25/2019 | Women's Tennis

ORLANDO, FL. – The University of Richmond women's tennis team played the longest match of the tournament outlasting UMass, 4-3, advancing to the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals late Thursday night at the USTA National Campus.

With the match tied at 3-3, it came down to No. 3 singles and junior Dessi Zlateva (Sofia, Bulgaria). Zlateva won the first set 6-3 and was leading 5-4 in the second set before Ruth Crawford came back to win the set 7-5. In the deciding third set, it went back and forth but each player couldn't hold serve. Zlateva broke her opponent to take a 6-5 lead and finally served out to send the Spiders to the semifinals.

With the win against No. 3 UMass, it marks the second-straight season Richmond has made the semifinals.

The Spiders (9-9) won the doubles point after winning the first two doubles matches. Junior Lyndell Giffenig (Salisbury, Conn.) and sophomore Adrienne Haynes (Asheville, N.C.) won 6-3 against Ruth Crawford and Ashley Avery at No. 3 doubles.

The Spiders clinched the doubles point after Junior Kiana Marshall (Bridgetown, Barbados) and sophomore Emily Dunbar (Medina, Ohio) picked up a tough 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles against Jovana Bogicevic and Janja Kovacevic.

At No. 2 doubles, Dessi Zlateva (Sofia, Bulgaria) and Lea Owens (Olney, Md.) were leading 4-3 against Jodie Lawrence-Taylor and Anna Napadiy when the point was won.

In singles, UMass quickly went ahead 2-1 after winning matches at No. 2 and No. 1 singles. Freshman Helene Heiberg (Oslo, Norway) tied the match at 2-2 after a thrilling third set win against Bocchi, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

UMass took a 3-2 lead after Bogicevic defeated senior Ana Ramirez (Mexico City), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. Owens tied it at 3-3 with a comeback win against Napadiy, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 4 singles.

Richmond will now face second-seeded George Washington on Friday, April 26, at 3 p.m. at the USTA National Campus. Rain in the area could force the match to be delayed.

Richmond 4, UMass 3
Singles
No. 1 – Janja Kovacevic (UMass) def. Emily Dunbar, 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 - Jodie Lawrence-Taylor (UMass) def. Kiana Marshall, 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 – Dessi Zlateva def. Ruth Crawford (UMass), 6-3, 5-7, 7-5
No. 4 – Lea Owens def. Anna Napadiy (UMass), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 – Helene Heiberg def. Martina Bocchi (UMass), 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
No. 6 – Jovana Bogicevic (UMass) def. Ana Ramirez, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6

Doubles
No. 1 – Dunbar/Marshall def. Bogicevic/Kovacevic (UMass), 6-4
No. 2 – Zlateva/Owens vs. Lawrence-Taylor/Napadiy (UMass), 4-3 unfinished
No. 3 – Adrienne Haynes/Lyndell Giffenig def. Crawford/Ashley Avery (UMass), 6-3

-UR-