No. 52 Cyclones Rally To Beat Houston, 4-2

HOUSTON, Texas – No. 52 Iowa State (9-5, 3-3 Big 12) fell behind but a gutsy performance from top singles player Anna Supapitch Kuearum helped propel the Cyclones to a 4-2 win Sunday afternoon.

For the first time in Big 12 action, ISU clinched the doubles point to go up 1-0. The Cyclones earned a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles and a 6-1 victory at No. 2 doubles to gain the early advantage.

Houston (3-9, 0-6) gave the Cyclones all they could handle, winning matches on courts four and five to go ahead 2-1. The Cougars took the first sets on court one and court six as well, leaving the Cyclones in a precarious position.

Freshmen Julia Camblor and Mari Paz Alberto Vilar got the Cyclones back on the board on courts two and three, respectively. Camblor was a 7-6 (9), 6-2 winner over Iva Sepa, while Alberto Vilar earned a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 win against Heta Nuutinen, putting ISU back up 3-2 as a team.

Kuearum, the nation's No. 97 player, dropped her opening set 6-4 and fell behind 5-3 in the second set. But Kuearum was able to rally in the second, winning her next four games to tie it at one set apiece. It was all the Cyclone senior in the deciding third set as she defeated No. 122 Santa Strombacha, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, to finish off the Cyclone victory.

Court six between Cyclone Valeska San Martin Ramirez and Gabriela Cortes went unfinished with the Houston player on the verge of capturing the win.

Iowa State returns home to host Baylor on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Iowa State Tennis Facility.

Doubles Results
Order of Finish: 1, 2
#1 –Anna Supapitch Kuearum/Cristina Ramos Sierra (ISU) def. Elizaveta Morozova/Santa Strombacha (UH), 6-2
#2 – Julia Camblor/Gabriela Felix (ISU) def. Gabriela Cortes/Sophie Schouten (UH), 6-1
#3 – Valeska San Martin Ramirez/Mari Paz Alberto Vilar (ISU) vs. Valeriia Krokhotina/Iva Sepa (UH), 3-4 UF

Singles Results
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 2, 3, 1
#1 – No. 97 Kuearum (ISU) def. No. 122 Strombacha (UH), 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
#2 –Camblor (ISU) def. Sepa (UH), 7-6 (9), 6-2
#3 – Alberto Vilar (ISU) def. Heta Nuutinen (UH), 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
#4 – Krokhotina (UH) def. Ramos Sierra (ISU), 6-3, 6-3
#5 – Schouten (UH) def. Pretorious (ISU), 6-0, 6-3
#6 – San Martin Ramirez (ISU) vs. Cortes (UH), 6-7 (7), 5-6 UF

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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Mari Paz Alberto Vilar

Julia Camblor

Gabriela Felix

Anna Supapitch Kuearum

Cristina Ramos Sierra

Valeska San Martin Ramirez