The 66th-ranked FIU women’s tennis team continued its dominant form on Monday, securing a commanding 6-1 win over Delaware at the PayCargo Tennis Center. The victory marked the Panthers’ eighth straight win and improved their home record to a perfect 7-0.
Strong Start in Doubles
FIU (10-2) took control early by claiming the doubles point. The No. 1 pairing of Ekaterina Khairutdinova and Oyinlomo Quadre made quick work of their opponents with a 6-0 shutout. Shortly after, Valery Gynina and Dana Baidaulet sealed the point with a 6-2 victory at No. 3 doubles.
Panthers Dominate Singles Play
In singles action, FIU won five of six matches to secure the overall victory. Katerina Mandelikova set the tone with a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 4. Quadre followed with a solid 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 2, putting the Panthers up 3-0.
Though FIU dropped the match at No. 5 singles, Aleksandra Simeva clinched the overall win with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph at No. 6. Gynina delivered a comeback performance at No. 3, bouncing back from a first-set loss (4-6) to win the second set (6-2) and the tiebreak (10-8).
The highlight of the match came at No. 1 singles, where Khairutdinova defeated Delaware’s ITA-ranked No. 94 player in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3, capping off a dominant performance for the Panthers.
Next Up
FIU returns to action on Friday, March 28, for a Conference USA (CUSA) showdown against Liberty at noon at the PayCargo Tennis Center.
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