Women’s Tennis: Radovanovic Goes 4-0, As Cajuns Sweep Doubleheader

 David Collins, Athletics Communications Assistant

  

Story Links

• Box Score (Southern)
• Box Score (Northwestern State)

LAFAYETTE – A big day from freshman Dana Radovanovic, including an exciting clinching win in the day’s second match, helped the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns women’s tennis team take both matches in their doubleheader today, 4-0 against Southern and 4-3 against Northwestern State, to remain undefeated on the season.
           
Radovanovic finished the day 4-0, 2-0 in doubles and 2-0 in singles to lead the way for the Cajuns, while freshman Floriane Picaut finished the day 3-0, 1-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles, as the Cajuns’ record improved to 4-0 on the season.

VS. SU
HOW IT HAPPENED (Doubles): Due to a forfeit at No. 3 by Southern, the Cajuns only needed one win in doubles to take the point.  They got that win at No. 2 when the freshmen duo of Picaut and Radovanovic beat the Southern pair of Raymond/Kent, 6-2.  Picaut and Radovanovic took the first four games before dropping the next two placing the score at 4-2.  But from there the Louisiana pair took the next two games to take the match and it gave the Cajuns the doubles point and, thanks to Southern forfeiting at No. 6 singles, they carried a 2-0 lead into the single portion of the match.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Singles): Louisiana started things off quickly in singles when at No. 3 Radovanovic beat Southern’s Mia Kent in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3.  The first set was a breeze for Radovanovic and in the second set she handled her business as well.  Things were tied up at 2-2, but Radovanovic would drop only one more game the rest of the way to give the Cajuns a 3-0 lead.
           
At No. 2 senior Kelly Drew clinched the win for the Cajuns when she took down Southern’s Tanaka Chakanyuka in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.  Drew had to come back in the second set, as she was down 3-2 early in the set, but much like Radovanovic, Drew would only drop one more game through the remainder of the match to lock the win up for the Cajuns as they took the match 4-0.

VS. NSU
HOW IT HAPPENED (Doubles): At No. 1, the Cajuns duo of Drew and Johnson lost their match to Northwestern State’s pair of Polina Mutel and Polina Ivanova, 6-2.  It meant that due to the forfeit at No. 3 by the Lady Demons the doubles point came down to the match at No. 2.  Louisiana’s freshmen duo of Picaut and Radovanovic were again up to the challenge, locking up the doubles point at No. 2 with a solid 6-2 win over Northwestern State’s pairing of Ela Iwaniuk and Kateryna Avram. 
           
The two young Cajuns controlled the match from start to finish and when it was over the Cajuns had taken the doubles point, and with a forfeit by the Lady Demons at No. 6 singles, Louisiana carried a 2-0 lead into singles play.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Singles): The Cajuns moved one win away from clinching when at No. 2, Picaut easily dispatched Northwestern State’s Polina Ivanova in straight sets 6-4, 6-1.  Things were tied at four-all midway through the first set, but that’s as close as Ivanova would get to Picaut as she won the next eight out of nine games, including only dropping one game in the second set, to give the Cajuns a 3-0 lead in the match.
           
Northwestern State got on the board with a straight set win at No. 5 when Emilija Dancetovic beat Cajuns sophomore Marina Rodriguez Garcia, 6-3, 6-1 to put the score at 3-1 with Louisiana still leading in the match.  The Lady Demons then added to their score with a straight set win at No. 4 when Ela Iwaniuk defeated Louisiana’s Abby Johnson in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1.
           
It set up a down to the wire finish with matches at No. 1 and No. 3 still being played out.
           
At No. 1, the Cajuns’ Drew put up a big fight pushing her match to a third set before falling to Northwestern State’s Polina Mutel, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.  After losing the first set Drew came out on a mission in the second set, not dropping a game to force the deciding third set.  It wasn’t enough though, as Mutel won the third set to put the score tied at 3-3.
           
The score didn’t remain tied for very long, as less than a minute after the match at No. 1 wrapped up, a cheer erupted from the No. 3 court as Radovanovic finished the match for the Cajuns with a straight set win, 6-4, 7-5, against Northwestern State’s Kateryna Avram.  The second set was a tough one for Radovanovic to win, with the score tying up at 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5, before Radovanovic pulled away to take the final two games and the match.
           
Radovanovic erupted with a fist pump as her teammates stormed the court, and with that celebration the Cajuns had held off the charging Lady Demons to win the match 4-3.

NOTEWORTHY: Both Picaut and Radovanovic improve to 5-0 overall on the season, and together in doubles they’re undefeated with a 3-0 record; It’s the first time the Cajuns have beaten Northwestern State since Mar. 17, 2011;  The 4-0 start is the best start the Cajuns have had since starting 4-1 in 2016.

UP NEXT FOR THE CAJUNS: Louisiana continues their seven-match home stretch to open the season, when they welcome to Cajun Courts the Xavier (La.) Gold Rush for a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 3.  The first match is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start and the second match’s first serve is at 1:30 p.m.

FOLLOWING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS: Follow the Cajuns on twitter @RaginCajunsWT for updates during the matches, links to live stats, live streams and the recap from the matches.

January 31, 2018 at Lafayette, La. (Cajun Courts)
Louisiana 4, Southern 0
Doubles:
1.) Drew/Johnson (LA) vs. Chakanyuka/Mbaya (SU) DNF
2.) Radovanovic/Picaut (LA) def. Raymond/Kent (SU) 6-2
3.) Cajuns win by forfeit
Order of finish: 3, 2*
 
Singles:
1.) Floriane Picaut (LA) vs. Stephanie Mbaya (SU)
2.) Kelly Drew (LA) def. Tanaka Chakanyuka (SU) 6-4, 6-3
3.) Dana Radovanovic (LA) def. Mia Kent (SU) 6-1, 6-3
4.) Abby Johnson (LA) vs. D’Jeri Raymond (SU)
5.) Marina Rodriguez Garcia (LA) vs. Nicki Neal (SU)
6.) Cajuns win by forfeit
Order of finish: 6, 3, 2*
 
Records:
Louisiana: 3-0
Southern: 0-2
 
 
Louisiana 4, Northwestern State 3
Doubles:
1.) Mutel/Ivanova (NSU) def. Drew/Johnson (LA) 6-2
2.) Radovanovic/Picaut (LA) def. Iwaniuk/Avram (NSU) 6-2
3.) Cajuns win by forfeit
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2*
 
Singles:
1.) Polina Mutel (NSU) def. Kelly Drew (LA) 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
2.) Floriane Picaut (LA) def. Polina Ivanova (NSU) 6-4, 6-1
3.) Dana Radovanovic (LA) def. Kateryna Avram (NSU) 6-4, 7-5
4.) Ela Iwaniuk (NSU) def. Abby Johnson (LA) 7-5, 6-1
5.) Emilija Dancetovic (NSU) def. Marina Rodriguez Garcia (LA) 6-3, 6-1
6.) Cajuns win by forfeit
Order of finish: 6, 2, 5, 4, 1, 3*
 
Records:
Louisiana: 4-0
Northwestern State: 0-3