Baylor Women’s Tennis Falls Just Short in 4-3 Battle with Rice
WACO, Texas - Friday afternoon at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center delivered all the drama you’d want from a college tennis showdown. Baylor women’s tennis clawed their way back from a 3-1 deficit, pushing Rice to the brink before ultimately falling 4-3 in a tightly contested match that came down to the final set on Court Four.
This one had momentum swings, standout performances, and a finish that had everyone courtside holding their breath.
Doubles Set the Tone
The Owls came out flying in doubles, wasting no time in grabbing the early edge. On Court Two, Rice’s Divna Ratkovic and Ema Mravcova were dominant, blanking their opponents 6-0.
Court Three followed suit with Fernanda Martinez and Daniela Chica securing a 6-3 win. Just like that, the Owls had the doubles point in their pocket and the early 1-0 lead.
Singles Turn into a Tug-of-War
Baylor didn’t flinch. Zuzanna Kubacha responded with authority on Court Two, delivering a composed 6-3, 6-2 win to even things up at 1-1. But Rice had answers of their own.
The Owls picked up back-to-back wins on Courts Five and Three to stretch the lead to 3-1. Nithesa Selvaraj controlled her match against Mu-Jie Tzeng, winning 6-2, 6-3, and Ratkovic kept her strong day going with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Gibbs.
With their backs against the wall, the Bears found a spark. Na Dong stepped up on Court One with a poised, straight-sets win - 6-3, 6-3 - to keep Baylor alive and cut the deficit to 3-2.
That set the stage for a dramatic finish, with two matches still in play and Baylor needing both to complete the comeback.
Down to the Wire
On Court Six, Luna Ivkovic battled through a rollercoaster of a match. After taking the first set in a tiebreak, she dropped the second but regrouped in the third to notch a gritty 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-2 win. That tied the match at 3-3 and shifted all eyes to Court Four.
There, Alian Zack was locked in a tense third set with everything on the line. She had already pushed the match deep into a deciding frame, but Rice managed to close the door with a 6-4 win in that final set - sealing the 4-3 victory for the Owls.
What’s Next
Baylor (2-2) won’t have much time to dwell on the near-miss. They’ll be back on the court Sunday, February 8, hosting No.
23 Washington at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. If Friday’s fight is any indication, the Bears are more than ready to test themselves again against top-tier competition.