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Pilots Bounce Back to Sweep Bryant

CUMBERLAND, R.I. – The Portland women’s tennis team cruised to a 7-0 sweep of the Bryant Bulldogs to close a three-game road trip on Sunday. The Pilots (3-2) bounced back from a pair of 4-3 losses to Boston U and Brown over the weekend to finish on a winning note.

“I am very proud of this group,” Portland head coach Filip Zivkovic said. “This was our third match of the road trip and some of the players played over 10 hours of tennis in the last three days, so both mental and physical fatigue was visible. Nonetheless, every one of them found another gear today and competed as well as I have seen.”

Portland secured a competitive doubles point with close wins at the top two spots. Sally Pethybridge and Rimona Rouf won 6-4 at No. 1 and then Iva Zelic and Rose Watanabe clinched with a 7-1 tiebreaker victory at No. 2.

It was all Pilots in singles as five of the six matches were won in straight sets. Pethybridge didn’t drop a game in win at No. 2 and Rouf also cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4. Zelic secured the clinching point with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 win at the top of the order against Natalia Vela to remain unbeaten in dual singles.

Aleksandra Dimitrijevic raced to a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 5 and freshman Nadine Arbaizar Martinez finished it out with a 6-4, 7-6 victory at the No. 6 position.

“The team really bought into things we talked about,” Zivkovic said. “Our players applied the lessons we learned from the previous two matches and stayed much more composed in pressure situations. We are showing growth and that is all I can ever ask for as a coach.”
 
The Pilots will next prepare for their home opener against Washington State on Friday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. Live coverage links will be available at PortlandPilots.com.
 
Portland 7, Bryant 0
Cumberland, R.I. (Fore Court)
February 4, 2024

 
Singles
1. Iva Zelic (POR) def. Natalia Vela (BRY) 6-2, 1-6, 6-3
2. Sally Pethybridge (POR) def. Yahli Noy (BRY) 6-0, 6-0
3. Alaia Rubio Perez (POR) def. Aurora Pedwell (BRY) 7-6 (1), 6-1
4. Rimona Rouf (POR) def. Caitlyn Munson (BRY) 6-2, 6-2
5. Aleksandra Dimitrijevic (POR) def. Olivia Rondini (BRY) 6-2, 6-2
6. Nadine Arbaizar Martinez (POR) def. Maria Jose Hernandez Diaz (BRY) 6-4, 7-6 (3)

Doubles
1. Pethybridge/Rouf (POR) def. Vela/Munson (BRY) 6-4
2. Zelic/Rose Watanabe (POR) def. Pedwell/Rondini (BRY) 7-6 (6)
3. Diaz Hernandez/Noy (BRY) def. Rubio Perez/Dimitrijevic (POR) 6-4

Match Notes
Bryant 1-2
Portland 3-2
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,4,1,3,5,6)
  

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