Cyclones have mixed weekend in Oklahoma
Maty Cancini returns a serve while her then-partner Sami Budai stands ready at the net. Budai and Cancini played first doubles against Oklahoma on April 21, 2017, at Forker Tennis Courts. First doubles went on to win 6-2 and was the sole winning doubles team for Iowa State.
October 22, 2019
All eight members of the Cyclones’ tennis team competed at the ITA Central Regionals at Oklahoma University in Norman, Oklahoma. The Regionals were loaded with some of the best competition in the nation, including participants from more than 25 teams.
The Cyclones started off day one a little bit slow with both Margarita Timakova and Karen Alvarez losing in the opening round of qualifying singles. However, Alvarez bounced back in the consolations with a victory while Timakova dropped a tough match to Minnesota’s Lucia De Santa Ana.
The bright spot of the day for the Cyclones was Chie Kezuka, who won both of her matches and advanced to the main draw of the tournament.
On Friday, the rest of the Cyclones got their chance at competition. Iowa State sent Maty Cancini and Thesaporn Naklo to the round of 32. In addition, Kezuka picked another pair of wins and extended her win streak to four. In doubles, Iowa State was 3-1 on the day, sending three of their four pairs to the round of 16. The duos of Naklo/Christin Hsieh, Cancini/Ting-Pei Chang, and Alvarez/Oumaima Aziz all were victorious while the duo of Timakova/Kezuka fell.
On Saturday, Naklo advanced to the round of 16 after a hard fought three set victory while Cancini and Kezuka each lost. Nako also advanced in doubles with her partner, Hsieh, before falling in the round of 16.
To conclude play, Nako fell in the round of 16 to Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva of Wichita State in a three set thriller to conclude her tournament and finish as the highest placing Cyclone.
Iowa State has this weekend off before returning to action Nov. 1 at the Roberta Alison Classic at Alabama.
