HOUSTON, Texas – The UT Arlington women's tennis team fell 4-0 to Houston in their season opener on the road at the Barbara Wallace Winston Tennis Facility on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cougars were quick to take the doubles point, taking Court 3 by way of a forfeit and securing the point with a victory on Court 1. The pairing of Valeriia Ivanovskaia and Mialy Ranaivo fell 6-2 to Houston's Iva Sepa and Valeriia Krokhotina on Court one while the pairing of Ana Paula Jimenez and Ioana Dumitrescu were locked in a 4-4 battle with Sophie Schouten and Gabriela Cortes before the match went unfinished on Court 2.
 
Singles play followed similarly, with the Cougars earning the next three matches, Court 6 by way of forfeit, for the 4-0 win.
 
Dumitrescu fell to Schouten 6-3, 6-1 on Court 4 to give the Cougars the 3-0 advantage before Krokhotina defeated Novikova 6-3, 6-0 to give Houston the 4-0 victory.
 
On Court 1, Ranaivo dropped the first match 6-1 to Sepa but took the second 7-5 before the match went unfinished. Sepa is ranked No. 79 nationally by ITA.
 
Both Jimenez and Ivanovskaia were locked in battles in match two after dropping the first match. Jimenez fell 6-1 to Nuutinen in the first match before being gridlocked 5-5 in the second before the match went unfinished. Ivanovskaia dropped the first match 6-2 to Morozova before a battling to a 4-4 tie in match 2 before being called.
 
The Mavs return to action this upcoming Thursday, Jan. 30, when they travel up the highway to Dallas to take on SMU for a 5 p.m. CT start.
 
UTA 0, Houston 4
Singles
 
1. #79 Iva Sepa (HOU) vs. Mialy Ranaivo (UTA) 6-1, 5-7, unfinished
2. Heta Nuutinen (HOU) vs. Ana Paula Jimenez (UTA) 6-1, 5-5, unfinished
3. Elizaveta Morozova (HOU) vs. Valeriia Ivanovskaia (UTA) 6-2, 4-4, unfinished
4. Sophie Schouten (HOU) def. Ioana Dumitrescu (UTA) 6-3, 6-1
5. Valeriia Krokhotina (HOU) def. Nika Novikova (UTA) 6-3, 6-0
6. Gabriela Cortes (HOU) def. No player (UTA), by forfeit

Doubles 

1. Iva Sepa / Valeriia Krokhotina (HOU) def. Valeriia Ivanovskaia / Mialy Ranaivo (UTA) 6-2
2. Sophie Schouten / Gabriela Cortes (HOU) vs. Ana Paula Jimenez / Ioana Dumitrescu (UTA) 4-4, unfinished
3. No player / No player (UTA) vs. Elizaveta Morozova / Heta Nuutinen (HOU) no result, by forfeit
   
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