Cowgirl duo edges out win in finals at WSU Fall Classic.
Nataliya Shatkovskaya
Sept. 20, 2009
WICHITA, Kan. – Cowgirls Sasha Belova and Nataliya Shatkovskaya won the Maindraw Doubles Finals in thrilling fashion Sunday as the Oklahoma State women’s tennis team wrapped up its competition at the WSU Fall Classic.
The duo edged out Wichita State’s Lutfiana Budiharto and Stephanie Dalmacio, 9-7, after saving three match points.
“Nataliya and Sasha won a great match against Wichita State,” coach Chris Young said. “They saved three match points and played really well. All the girls played really hard this weekend. We won 13 of our 19 singles matches and seven of our 11 doubles matches so it was a pretty good weekend.”
Shatkovskaya also had a successful showing in the singles bracket this weekend, reaching the Maindraw Flight A Singles Finals, where she fell to Wichita State’s Budiharto, 6-1, 6-2.
Other Cowgirls finishing up doubles play included Alexandra Cristello and Leyla Simmons, who knocked off Kansas State’s Natasha Vieira and Maryna Chumak, 9-8 (0), as well as Alisa Buslaieva and Iryna Khatsko, who defeated Arkansas State’s Jenny Herring and Rone' Van Wyk, 8-3.
In other singles action, Khatsko defeated Wichita State’s Florentina Hanisch, 6-4, 0-6, 10-6; Cristello defeated Kansas State’s Vieira, 6-0, 6-1; and Simmons defeated Arkansas State’s Tina Ojdanic, 6-2, 6-3.
Oklahoma State is scheduled to resume play on Oct. 2, when the Cowgirls travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Arkansas Invitational.
