SAN ANTONIO — UTSA continued its hot start to the season with a 6-1 home victory against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. The Roadrunners, who now have won four of their opening five outings of the spring, snapped a six-match losing streak to the Ladyjacks (3-3) in defeating them for the first time since April 5, 2009.
UTSA (4-1) got on the board early by winning both completed doubles tilts.
Kylee Kato and Miriam Rosell Canudas cruised past Lauren Hidalgo-Smith and Darinka Tiboldi by a score of 6-1 on center court, which gave the duo its fifth win in as many outings this spring. Lina Hallgren and Charleen Tiwari quickly followed with a 6-2 triumph against Kaja Ljubic and Denise Maxl at the third spot in the lineup to improve to a perfect 3-0 this year and give the Birds the early lead.
The Roadrunners' success carried over to singles play where they won five of the six matches.
Tiwari increased the advantage to 2-0 with her 6-4, 6-3 victory against Gabi Guilarte on the fifth court and Rosell Canudas, the nation's 118th-ranked player, followed with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Maxl at the top spot in the lineup, which pushed her record to a spotless 5-0 this season. Hallgren then clinched the victory on court No. 3 against Vanesa Pardo by a count of 6-4, 6-1.
UTSA's other two wins of the afternoon came from Denisa Ibrahimovic at the second position (vs. Lauren Hidalgo-Smith/6-3, 7-5) and Laura Cabrera at the fourth position (vs. Tiboldi/6-4, 7-6 [9-7]).
The Roadrunners will conclude their six-match home stand with an 11 a.m. contest against Northwestern State (4-3) on Sunday. The Lady Demons will bring a four-match winning streak to the Alamo City.
UTSA 6, Stephen F. Austin 1
Doubles
1. Kato/Rosell Canudas (UTSA) def. Hidalgo-Smith/Tiboldi (SFA) 6-1
2. Ibrahimovic/Madroñal Medina (UTSA) vs. Guilarte/Payne (SFA) 4-3, unfinished
3. Hallgren/Tiwari (UTSA) def. Ljubic/Maxl (SFA) 6-2
Singles
1. #118 Miriam Rosell Canudas (UTSA) def. Denise Maxl (SFA) 6-3, 6-3
2. Denisa Ibrahimovic (UTSA) def. Lauren Hidalgo-Smith (SFA) 6-3, 7-5
3. Lina Hallgren (UTSA) def. Vanesa Pardo (SFA) 6-4, 6-1
4. Laura Cabrera (UTSA) def. Darinka Tiboldi (SFA) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
5. Charleen Tiwari (UTSA) def. Gabi Guilarte (SFA) 6-4, 6-3
6. Liza Aginskaya (SFA) def. Kylee Kato (UTSA) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10-4)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,1,3,2,6,4)