Veroux UNM’s Latest Hero in 4-3 Win Over CSU

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- If it seems like UNM Women’s Tennis has a different hero every match, it’s basically because, well, they do. On Thursday, it was Ana Veroux’s turn to turn a pressure-packed winner-take-all match into a 4-3 Lobo victory as she won a thriller 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to give UNM a 4-3 win, its third 4-3 win in conference play.

The thriller pushed UNM to 12-8 on the season and 3-4 in conference play, while Colorado State dropped to 6-12 overall and 2-5 in Mountain West play. UNM hosts Wyoming on Saturday at 11 am. CSU travels to Air Force.

The Lobos needed four singles wins because UNM was edged by the slimmest of margins in doubles, giving CSU a 1-0 lead. Bente Vandeputte and Yu Yun “Kathy” Tsai got a 6-4 win to counterbalance a 6-4 loss by Lea Malazdra and Veroux at No. 3, falling to Stella Morgan and Logan Voeks.

That put the doubles point, and the 1-0 lead to No. 1 doubles, and Vianca and Vivica Corley went to a tiebreak with CSU’s Luana Avelar and Sorcha Caves. That tiebreaker went beyond regulation, with CSU eventually taking a 9-7 win for a 1-0 lead.

In singles, the matches were tight throughout, with half going to a third set. In the straight set matches, UNM took two of three for a 2-2 tie, with Tsai winning 6-2, 6-1 and Vianca Corley winning 6-2, 6-3.

That meant whichever team won two of the three third sets would be the winner. Fortunately for UNM, Marika Matsoukatidi is getting used to this. The sophomore, who won a 13-11 tiebreaker to clinch the win over Nevada and then a tense three-setter with UNM down 3-2 to San Jose State, was once again in a must-have match, and she once again delivered.

Matsoukatidi won an opening set tiebreaker and then flip-flopped 6-1 sets for a 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-1 win, which finished just seconds ahead of a CSU win at No. 1 singles, making it 3-3.

But it was Veroux to the rescue, taking a 5-4 lead and then watching her opponent, Caves’ forehand go long, touching off a wild celebration.