EUGENE, Ore. – The Denver Pioneers came away with a 4-2 win over the Portland Pilots in neutral site women's tennis action Saturday afternoon at the Student Tennis Center.

The Pilots (4-3) started strong by taking the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. Iva Zelic and Sally Pethybridge improved to 4-1 in dual doubles at the top of the lineup with a 6-3 win and then sophomores Alaia Rubio Perez and Meagan Pearson clinched with a 7-4 tiebreaker win at No. 3.

Denver tied the match with a win at No. 4 singles, but Pethybridge made it 2-1 with a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 2, her fifth straight victory.

The Pioneers took the 3-2 lead after wins at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions. The final two points went down to the wire on side-by-side courts.

Zelic forced a third set at No. 1 singles against Andrea Burguet Beltran and was up 1-0 in the deciding set, but Denver clinched when Louise Wikander outlasted Rubio Perez 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 at No. 3. Zelic remains unbeaten in dual play and has won nine straight singles matches dating back to the fall.

Portland will get back to the courts to host Montana State on Friday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m.

Denver 4, Portland 2
Eugene, Ore. (Student Tennis Center)
February 10, 2024

Singles
1. Iva Zelic (POR) vs. Andrea Burguete Beltran (DU) 6-7, 6-3, 1-0, unfinished
2. Sally Pethybridge (POR) def. Britt Pursell (DU) 6-0, 6-3
3. Louise Wikander (DU) def. Alaia Rubio Perez (POR) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
4. Caroline Driscoll (DU) def. Rimona Rouf (POR) 6-0, 6-2
5. Claudia Martinez de Velasco (DU) def. Aleksandra Dimitrijevic (POR) 6-3, 6-2
6. Karsyn Evans (DU) def. Nadine Arbaizar Martinez (POR) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles
1. Zelic/Pethybridge (POR) def. Pursell/Burguete Beltran (DU) 6-3
2. Driscoll/ Wikander (DU) def. Rouf/Dimitrijevic (POR) 6-0
3. Rubio Perez/Meagan Pearson (POR) def. Martinez de Velasco/Alice Otis (DU) 7-6 (4)

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