The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Samford
Ertunga Earns 200th Career Win as UAB Defeats Samford
3/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 28, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB head women's tennis coach Mert Ertunga won his 200th career match on Wednesday as his Blazers squad pulled out a 4-3 victory at Samford. Senior Julia von Samson won at number two singles against the Bulldogs to improve on her 11-match win streak. The Blazers are now 11-1 on the year.
"If my other 199 wins were anything like this one, I would have aged much quicker over the years," Ertunga said following his 200th win. "This was an extremely tightly fought, good quality tennis match that came down to the last few points. We missed not having Nischa (Maier-Knapp) and Samford had its best team I've observed in the last few years so we were fortunate to get out of the match with the win."
UAB swept the doubles to earn the first point of the match. At No. 1, senior Gulsah Esen and von Samson won 8-5, while at No. 2, senior Annemieke Elsholz and freshman Magdalena Czernik won 8-7. Juniors Antonia Nugent and Seden Soyalp earned an 8-5 triumph at flight three.
Esen lost a tough three-setter at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, while von Samson won 6-2, 6-2 at flight two. Czernik went down in straight sets at No. 3 as did Elsholz at flight four. Senior Samrin Tanzeem clinched the match with her 0-6, 7-5, 6-4 come-from-behind victory at number five after Nugent had won 6-1, 6-2 at flight six.
"I am very glad my 200th career win came with this group of girls," said Ertunga. "This nucleus of girls has been with me for three years and I probably owe an important percentage of my wins to them. It was really special to have Samrin pull out the last match with an amazing comeback, because that's what she has been doing for four years at UAB."
The Blazers will next be in action on Friday when they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take on Middle Tennessee State at 2 p.m.
Doubles: 1) Esen/von Samson def. White/McKey 8-5 2) Elsholz/Czernik def. Warren/Jackson 8-7 3) Nugent/Soyalp def. McMiller/Baker 8-5
Singles: 1) Anna Jackson (SU) def. Gulsah Esen 6-2 1-6 6-3 2) Julia von Samson (UAB) def. Katie McMiller 6-2 6-2 3) Emily White (SU) def. Magdalena Czernik 7-6 6-2 4) Whitnie Warren (SU) def. Annemieke Elsholz 6-2 6-3 5) Samrin Tanzeem (UAB) def. Sarah McKey 0-6 7-5 6-4 6) Antonia Nugent (UAB) def. Bethany Benson 6-1 6-2
