Cyclones Beat Mountaineers In Big 12 Opener

Sunday, March 1

Morgantown, W.Va.

9:00 AM

Iowa State

West Virginia

Cyclones Beat Mountaineers In Big 12 Opener

03.01.2020 | Tennis

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Freshman Christin Hsieh rallied for a three-set win against West Virginia's Giovanna Caputo to help lift Iowa State to a 5-2 win against the Mountaineers Sunday in the Big 12 opener for both schools.

The win improves Iowa State to 9-3 overall and 1-0 in Big 12 action. West Virginia was dealt its first loss of the season, falling to 7-1 overall and 0-1 in conference action. ISU improves to 8-1 all-time against the Mountaineers.

Hsieh dropped the first set against Caputo, but never wavered in rallying to record the decisive point with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 3 singles.

The Cyclones had opened up a 3-1 edge prior to Hsieh's win by earning points in doubles action, as well as at No. 1 and No. 2 singles.

ISU head coach Boomer Saia switched up the doubles order for his squad and the Cyclones' pairings made quick work of the Mountaineers.

Maty Cancini and Ting-Pei Chang moved into the No. 1 slot and defeated West Virginia's top pair of Anne-Sophie Courteau and Kat Lyman, 6-2. After WVU evened it up with a win at No. 3, Hsieh and Thasaporn Naklo secured the doubles point with a 6-3 victory over the Mountaineers' Anastasia Bovolskaia and Sofia Duran.

Out of the gates in singles action, Naklo rolled to a 6-4, 6-3 win against Bovolskaia at the top slot.

After a WVU win at No. 4 singles, Cancini created more distance between the teams with her 6-1, 7-5 win against Courteau. Hsieh then followed suit, giving the Cyclones their first road win of the season.

ISU also got a win from Chie Kezuka at No. 5. The freshmen improved to 9-2 this season with a 6-3, 6-1 win against Nicole Roc.

The Cyclones return to action next weekend with a pair of Big 12 road matches. ISU faces Baylor on Friday at 5 p.m. in Waco, Texas, before facing Texas on Sunday at noon in Austin, Texas.

Doubles (Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2)
#1 – Maty Cancini/Ting-Pei Chang (ISU) def. Anne-Sophie Courteau/Kat Lyman (WVU), 6-2
#2 – Christin Hsieh/Thasaporn Naklo (ISU) def. Anastasia Bovolskaia/Sofia Duran (WVU), 6-3
#3 – Giovanna Caputo/Nicole Roc (WVU) def. Chie Kezuka/Margarita Timakova (ISU), 6-3

Singles (Order of Finish: 1, 4, 2, 3, 5, 6)
#1 – Naklo (ISU) def. Bovolskaia (WVU), 6-4, 6-3
#2 – Cancini (ISU) def. Courteau (WVU), 6-1, 7-5
#3 – Hsieh (ISU) def. Caputo (WVU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
#4 – Lyman (WVU) def. Chang (ISU), 6-3, 6-3
#5 – Kezuka (ISU) def. Roc (WVU), 6-3, 6-1
#6 – Duran (WVU) def. Timakova (ISU), 7-5, 6-2