Women's Tennis Comes Up Short In Seattle

SEATTLE, Wash. - After enjoying one of the best starts in program history, the Oregon women's tennis team (9-1, 2-0) could not handle the No. 5 Washington Huskies (7-1, 0-0), losing 5-2, in a non-conference dual match.

The Ducks started the match with hot doubles play, sweeping all three positions, and earning the doubles point. The No. 16-ranked duo of Daria Panova and Courtney Nagle took down No. 29-ranked Claire Carter and Dea Sumantri, 8-4. Anna Leksinska and Dominika Dieskova defeated Dinka Hadzic and Saskia Nauenberg, 9-7, at the No. 2 position. The wins gives the duo an 8-1 dual record. At the No. 3 position, Davina Mendiburu and Ester Bak upended Erin Hoe and Monika Kolbovic, 8-3.

The singles portion of the match did not go the Ducks way, as they dropped five of six matches to the Huskies. No. 8 Daria Panova was defeated for the first time this season, 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (5), by No. 35-ranked Claire Carter. Senior Courtney Nagle moved from the No. 3 spot to the No. 2 spot for the first time this season, only to drop to No. 49-ranked Dea Sumantri, 6-0, 6-4. The loss was the first for Nagle on the season.

The Huskies Erin Hoe beat freshman Dominika Dieskova, 6-0, 6-4, in No. 3 play. Davina Mendiburu was another Duck to fall for the first time this season. Dinka Hadzic defeated Mendiburu, 6-2, 6-0. At the No. 5 position, Jamie Marshall lost a hard fought match to No. 90-ranked Saskia Nauenberg, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

The lone win for the Ducks was Ester Bak, who picked up her sixth dual win of the year, defeating Monika Kolbovic, 6-2, 7-5.

"I thought we played awesome doubles," said Oregon head coach Nils Schyllander. "In singles, Washington stepped up when they needed to. I felt it was a winnable match, it just didn't go our way. We let a good opportunity slip away."

The Ducks return to Pac-10 action this weekend, as the travel to the Bay Area to take on No. 1 Stanford (Feb. 27, Noon) and No. 4 California (Feb. 28, Noon).

No. 5 Washington 5, No. 42 Oregon 2

Feb. 21 Lloyd Nordstrom Tennis Center

Singles

1. (35) Claire Carter (UW) def. (8) Daria Panova (UO) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (5)

2. (49) Dea Sumantri (UW) def. Courtney Nagle (UO) 6-0, 6-4

3. Erin Hoe (UW) def. Dominika Dieskova (UO) 6-2, 6-4

4. Dinka Hadzic (UW) def. Davina Mendiburu (UO) 6-2, 6-0

5. (90) Saskia Nauenberg (UW) def. Jamie Marshall (UO) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2

6. Ester Bak (UO) def. Monika Kolbovic (UW) 6-2, 7-5

Doubles

1. Nagle/Panova (UO) def. Carter/Sumantri (UW) 8-4

2. Dieskova/Leksinska (UO) def. Hadzic/Nauenberg (UW) 8-7 (4)