Tennis facing doubles troubles
In its last three matches at home this season, the Missouri women’s tennis team has had an issue closing out the doubles point. The doubles point is one sole point earned by the team who takes the best of the three doubles matches.
Even if a team drops the doubles point, they can still win the match, as the Tigers did in their Big 12 opener against Oklahoma. Still, even with the win, the Tigers still feel they need to address their doubles play.
The Tigers started this trend in their match against Minnesota, a match they lost 5-2 to the Golden Gophers. The number two doubles team of sophomore Kaitlyn Ritchie and senior Jessica Giuggioli recorded a win, but the number one team of freshman Jamie Mera and sophomore Mallory Weber dropped their match after holding a six games to five lead. With the winner of the number three match winning the doubles point, the Tiger tandem of senior Sofia Ayala and freshman Danielle Day could not get the win even after leading seven games to four.
One week later, the Tigers would face a similar doubles fate. Mera and Weber lost their match, but Ayala and Day won, setting up a clash between the number ones. Ritchie and Giuggioli went to a first to seven point tiebreaker and lost.
In the Big 12 opener against Oklahoma, Ritchie and Giuggioli once again went to a seven point tiebreaker and lost, sealing the Tigers fate for the second time in three days. Mera and Weber also lost against the Sooners, but Ayala and Day captured their second straight win.
Coach Blake Starkey agreed after the win over Oklahoma that there would be emphasis placed on doubles play in upcoming practice.
