Women’s Tennis: Louisiana Opens Sun Belt Play with 4-3 Win Against ULM

Ragin’ Cajuns defeat Warhawks for the first time since 2009

LAFAYETTE – With the match tied 3-3 and just one court in play, Louisiana’s Lucie Raquin came up clutch on Court 4 by overcoming ULM’s Madalina Grigoriu in three sets to push the Ragin’ Cajuns past the Warhawks, 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon.
 
With the victory, the Cajuns (5-3, 1-0 Sun Belt) snapped a 10-game losing streak against their in-state foes and picked up their first win over ULM since winning 6-1 at Cajun Courts on March 22, 2009.
 
Additionally, the team improved its home winning streak this season to four games and moved to 4-1 on the year against in-state opposition.
 
It was a dream start to the match for Louisiana, which used 6-2 victories from the pairings of Floriane Picaut and Clara Mantaux and Isabella Kierkegaard and Christina Jordan to take an early 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Picaut made quick work of her opponent in singles play, taking down Drousile Dzebou, 6-2, 6-2, on Court 1 before Dana Radovanovic took down Daniela Hernandez, 6-3, 6-1, on Court 6 to extend the Cajuns lead to 3-0.
 
ULM (3-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) responded with three-straight victories, the last two requiring three sets, to tie the match up at 3-3 with Raquin and Grigriu still battling on Court 4.
 
After a back-and-forth affair, it was Raquin who pulled away late by winning the final two games of the third set to secure the 4-3 victory.
 
Louisiana returns to action on March 13, 2021, when it kicks off a two-match conference road swing at UT Arlington. First serve in Arlington is slated for 10 a.m. CT.
 
Final Results
Singles
1. Picaut (LA) def. Dzebou (ULM) 6-2, 6-2
2. Badwy (ULM) def. Mantaux (LA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Balaba (ULM) def. Jordan (LA) 6-3, 6-3
4. Raquin (LA) def. Grigoriu (ULM) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. Garbino (ULM) def. Kierkegaard (LA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
6. Radovanovic (LA) def. Hernandez (ULM) 6-3, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. Picaut/Mantaux (LA) def. Dzebou/Grigoriu (ULM) 6-2
2. Kierkegaard/Jordan (LA) def. Badwy/Balaba (ULM) 6-2
3. Burgersdijk/Raquin (LA) vs. Pereira/Lopicic (ULM) 5-3, unfinished
 
Order of Finish
Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,6,3,2,5,4)
 
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