DENTON — UTSA won the doubles point and then posted three singles victories en route to a 4-2 win against Southern Miss in Thursday's opening round of the Conference USA Tournament. It marked the second time in the past three years that the Roadrunners (12-8) won their opening-round match at the league's postseason event.
UTSA jumped in front early by winning both completed doubles contests.
Kylee Kato and Miriam Rosell Canudas handed Carolin Drescher and Alex Kitchen a 6-3 setback on center court for their 10 victory of the season. Denisa Ibrahimovic and Sonia Madroñal Medina then followed with a 6-4 decision against Rikeetha Pereira and Elena Roca at the No. 2 position, which gave UTSA an early 1-0 advantage.
The lead grew to 2-0 when Rosell Canudas, the nation's 100th-ranked singles player, registered a 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Drescher at the top spot in the lineup and the senior from Torello, Spain, improved to a perfect 20-0 in dual-match play this spring.
Southern Miss (14-8) tied things up when Kitchen downed Charleen Tirwari on court No. 3 by a score of 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 and Roca rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Kato at the sixth spot.
However, UTSA was not to be denied, as Lina Hallgren recorded her 11th win of the spring in a 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 decision against Tzu-Hui Chen at the fourth position and Ibrahimovic clinched the victory with her 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 triumph against Pereira on the second court.
The Roadrunners now will take on tournament top seed and 37th-ranked Rice (15-5) at 10 a.m. on Friday in the quarterfinals. The Owls (15-5) also have won six matches in a row and seven of their last eight overall. UTSA never has defeated Rice in 11 all-time meetings.
UTSA 4, Southern Miss 2
Doubles
1. Kato/Rosell Canudas (UTSA) def. Drescher/Kitchen (USM) 6-3
2. Ibrahimovic/Madroñal Medina (UTSA) def. Pereira/Roca (USM) 6-4
3. Hallgren/Tiwari (UTSA) vs. Chen/Jerse (USM) 5-4, unfinished
Singles
1. #100 Miriam Rosell Canudas (UTSA) def. Carolin Drescher (USM) 6-3, 6-4
2. Denisa Ibrahimovic (UTSA) def. Rikeetha Pereira (USM) 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
3. Alex Kitchen (USM) def. Charleen Tiwari (UTSA) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
4. Lina Hallgren (UTSA) def. Tzu-Hui Chen (USM) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5
5. Laura Cabrera (UTSA) vs. Tjasa Jerse (USM) 5-7, 7-5, 2-1, unfinished
6. Elena Roca (USM) def. Kylee Kato (UTSA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,3,6,4,2)
