OU Women's Tennis Reaches Finals Of UNLV Invitational

March 1, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - The 44th-ranked Oklahoma women's tennis team defeated No. 57 New Mexico, 6-1, Saturday in the second round of the UNLV Women's Tennis Spring Invitational at the Fertitta Tennis Complex in Las Vegas, Nev. OU moves to 8-0 on the season while the Lobos fell to 5-3. The Sooners are now 2-0 versus ranked opponents.

The Sooners won two out of three in doubles to take the first point of the afternoon. OU's 50th-ranked duo of junior Anda Perianu (Braila, Romania) and sophomore Heather Saluri (Des Moines, Iowa) pushed their record to 5-0 at No. 1 doubles with an 8-5 win over UNM's Tjasa Suvak and Maja Kovacek. At No. 2 doubles, Sooners Annette Bryntesson (Perth, Australia) and Bethany Griffin (Amarillo, Texas) beat Sandy Lukowski and Tiffany Robertson, 8-4.

In singles, No. 74 Perianu ousted No. 75 Suvak, 7-5, 6-0, at the No. 1 singles position to push her record to 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Sooner senior Elena Jirnova (Kiev, Ukraine) beat Kovacek at No. 2 singles, 7-6, 4-6, 10-6, while Bryntesson had no problems with Lukowski at No. 3 singles winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. OU sophomore Heather Saluri (Des Moines, Iowa) and senior Melissa Mendieta (San Jose, Costa Rica) were also a straight-set winners at the No. 4 and 6 singles positions, respectively.

The Sooners advance to the championship round to face No. 17 UNLV, who beat No. 75 Cal State Northridge, 5-2. The match is scheduled to begin Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. PST, weather permitting.

UNLV Spring Invitational - Second Round
No. 44 Oklahoma 6, No. 57 New Mexico 1
Saturday, March 1
Fertitta Tennis Complex
Las Vegas, Nev.

Singles
(74) Anda Perianu (OU) def. (75) Tjasa Suvak (UNM)      7-5, 6-0
Elena Jirnova (OU) def. Maja Kovacek (UNM)              7-6, 4-6, 10-6
Annette Bryntesson (OU) def. Sandy Lukowski (UNM)       6-2, 6-4
Heather Saluri (OU) def. Michelle Heidbrink (UNM)       6-2, 7-6,
Tiffany Robertson (UNM) def. Bethany Griffin (OU)       1-6, 6-2, 6-1
Melissa Mendieta (OU) def. Rachel Hatley (UNM)          7-5, 6-4

Doubles
(50) Perianu/Saluri (OU) def. Suvak/Kovacek (UNM)                 8-5
Bryntesson/Griffin (OU) def. Lukowski/Robertson (UNM)             8-4
Mari Ruiz-Fabrega/Hatley (UNM) def. Jirnova/Jessica Braver (OU)   9-7

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Women's Tennis Reaches Finals Of UNLV Invitational

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