Bradley tennis delivered a weekend that proved just how thin the line between victory and defeat can be.
The Braves staged an impressive comeback to edge Western Illinois before falling in
another down-to-the-wire showdown with St. Thomas, with both matches finishing in identical 4-3 fashion.
Against Western Illinois, the Braves were forced to play from behind after dropping the doubles point despite a dominant 6-1 win from the duo of Anna Belogliadova and Valeriia Ivanovskaia. Western Illinois carried that momentum into singles, winning two three-set matches to build a 3-1 advantage and put Bradley on the brink.
The turning point came through endurance and composure in marathon matches.
Ivanovskaia outlasted her opponent in a three-set battle that stretched close to three hours, keeping Bradley alive when a small margin for error remained.
Ruby Tseng also provided stability with a straight-set victory, while freshman Amber Sharp handled a pressure-filled tiebreak to win in two sets. Fellow freshman Ann Hsieh sealed the comeback with a 6-4, 7-5 decision.
Sunday’s matchup against St. Thomas unfolded in reverse. Bradley grabbed control early by earning the doubles point behind 6-2 and 6-3 victories on the top two courts, but the Tommies responded by leaning on lineup depth in singles.
Tseng captured her fifth dual singles win of the season with a three-set performance, and Belogliadova added another hard-fought victory. Yet, St. Thomas claimed three courts – including two matches decided by third-set tiebreaks – to secure the narrow win.
With a road matchup against SIUE scheduled for Feb. 11 at 2:30 p.m. in Edwardsville, the Braves will look to build on a solid start to the season.
