The New Orleans Privateers women’s tennis team lost a closely contested match to the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) Cardinals on Mar. 23, with a final score of 4-3 at the Privateer Tennis Center.
The match lasted over three and a half hours and was decided in the final singles contest. Alexandra Mille secured the winning point for UIW at flight six after defeating Ananya Dhankhar in three sets. Mille won a second set tiebreak to force a deciding third set, took an early lead, and held off Dhankhar’s comeback attempt to clinch victory for her team.
The Privateers started strong by winning the doubles point. Fleur Sprengers and Danique Vermue dominated at flight one with a 6-2 win, while UIW answered back with their own doubles victory at flight three. The first overall point came down to flight two, where Dhankhar and Kateryna Kalistratova rallied from behind to secure five consecutive games and take the opening point.
In singles play, UIW captured early wins through Ine Lamprecht at flight three (6-4, 6-0) and Amelie Montalvo at flight four (6-0, 6-3). Sprengers helped New Orleans even the score by breaking serve late for a straight-set win (6-2, 7-5). Victoria Franklin gave UIW another edge after breaking serve in her second set before closing out her match at flight five.
Kalistratova brought New Orleans level again by holding serve in her third set at flight two before Mille’s decisive performance ended the marathon contest.
Looking ahead, New Orleans will face Southeastern on Saturday at 11 a.m.
