April 29, 2010

Indian Wells, Calif. -

Courtesy Big West Conference office

Tiffany Mai won at No. 1 singles to complete Cal State Fullerton's 4-1 victory against UC Riverside in the first round of the Big West Women's Tennis Championship at Indian Wells Tennis Garden Thursday.

Mai's 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Nadia Sakhakorn improved the eighth-seeded Titans to 4-15 on the season. CSF will face No. 1 seed and six-time defending tournament champion Long Beach State on Friday at 9 a.m. in quarterfinal action.

UC Riverside finished its season at 4-13.

The Titans captured the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. Mai teamed with Monica Rodriguez to win 8-1 against UCR's Roxanne Plata and Angelique Corpuz. Erin Wiesener and Karina Akhmedova battled to an 8-5 win against the Highlanders' No. 3 tandem of Taylor Raney and Natalie McKay.

UCR evened the match at 1-1 as Raney breezed to a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles over Rodriguez. But the Titans claimed the ensuing three points. Malorie de la Cruz defeated Donna McCullough 6-2, 6-0 and Akhmedova won 6-3, 6-1 versus Roxanne Plata.

BIG WEST TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
INDIAN WELLS TENNIS GARDEN
WOMEN'S FIRST ROUND
CAL STATE FULLERTON (4), UC RIVERSIDE (1)
Doubles
1. Mai/Rodriguez (CSF) def. Plata/Corpuz (UCR) - 8-1
2. Cruz/dela Cruz (CSF) vs. Sakhakorn/McCullough (UCR) - DNF
3. Wiesener/Akhmedova (CSF) def. Taney/McKay (UCR) - 8-5

Singles
1. Tiffany Mai (CSF) def. Nadia Sakhakorn (UCR) - 6-2, 6-1
2. Taylor Raney (UCR) def. Monica Rodriguez (CSF) - 6-0, 6-2
3. Malorie dela Cruz (CSF) def. Donna McCullough (UCR) - 6-2, 6-0
4. Erin Wiesener (CSF) vs. Natalie McKay (UCR) - DNF
5. Jaycee Cruz (CSF) vs. Angelique Corpuz (UCR) - DNF
6. Karina Akhmedova (CSF) def. Roxanne Plata (UCR) - 6-3, 6-1