SAN ANTONIO — UTSA battled both No. 42 Tulane and Mother Nature on Friday afternoon and the Roadrunners came up just short in a 4-3 setback to the Green Wave.
In a match that took nearly six hours to complete, UTSA (6-7) played Tulane (15-4) even through the six singles contests, which were played first due to the threat of rain in the Alamo City.
Ivone Alvaro got the Green Wave on the board first with her 6-1, 6-1 victory against Charleen Tiwari on court No. 4 and Christina Sisti then cruised past Kylee Kato by scores of 6-2 and 6-0 to push the advantage to 2-0.
Meanwhile, Miriam Rosell Canudas, the nation's 103rd-ranked player, cut the deficit in half with her 6-4, 6-3 triumph against Naz Karagoz on center court. Rosell Canudas now is a perfect 13-0 in dual-match play this spring.
Denisa Ibrahimovic tied the score with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Kyla Klier at the second position in the lineup, but Elena Muller put Tulane back on top with her 6-4, 6-3 victory against Laura Cabrera on court No. 5.
That set the stage for an exciting finish on the third court and Lina Hallgren battled back for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Sade Atkinson to send the contest to doubles play.
However, both teams had to wait out a three-hour rain delay before doubles could begin.
Alvaro and Atkinson promptly but the Green Wave in the driver's seat with a 6-1 win against Ibrahimovic and Sonia Madroñal Medina at the second spot.
Tulane then clinched the victory when Klier and Sisti defeated Hallgren and Tiwari by a score of 6-3 on court three.
UTSA will continue its home stand with a 3 p.m. match against Prairie View A&M (3-17) on Saturday.
#42 Tulane 4, UTSA 3
Doubles
1. Karagoz/Muller (TLN) def. Kato/Rosell Canudas (UTSA) 6-3
2. Alvaro/Atkinson (TLN) def. Ibrahimovic/Madroñal Medina (UTSA) 6-1
3. Klier/Sisti (TLN) def. Hallgren/Tiwari (UTSA) 6-3
Singles
1. #103 Miriam Rosell Canudas (UTSA) def. Naz Karagoz (TLN) 6-4, 6-3
2. Denisa Ibrahimovic (UTSA) def. Kyla Klier (TLN) 6-3, 6-3
3. Lina Hallgren (UTSA) def. Sade Atkinson (TLN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
4. Ivone Alvaro (TLN) def. Charleen Tiwari (UTSA) 6-1, 6-1
5. Elena Muller (TLN) def. Laura Cabrera (UTSA) 6-4, 6-3
6. Christina Sisti (TLN) def. Kylee Kato (UTSA) 6-2, 6-0
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,6,1,2,5,3)
NOTE: Singles played before doubles due to the threat of rain.
