Orlando, Fla. – The Fordham University women's tennis team opened the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship on Wednesday with a 4-1 win over Saint Joseph's University at the USTA National Campus.
The Rams, the five seed, opened the match winning the doubles point over the 12th-seeded Hawks. Fordham, playing shorthanded, forfeited third doubles but won the two other positions for the point.
Arina Taluyenko and
Valeriya Deminova defeated Amanda Nava and Stow Weiss at first doubles, 7-5, while
Nicole Li and
Eleni Fasoula upended Anna Kirk and Alex Kramer at the second spot, 6-1.
Saint Joseph's picked up a point by forfeit at sixth singes but Fordham took the three completed singles matches for the 4-1 win. Taluyenko got it started with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Nava at first singles before Deminova gave the Rams a 3-1 lead with a 6-0, 6-4, victory over Fabiana Tort-Umpierre at the third position. Li clinched the match for Fordham when she defeated Sophia Amato at fifth singles, 6-4, 6-4.
The Rams advance to face fourth-seeded George Washington on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at the USTA National Campus.
