ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Savannah State University women's tennis team (2-11, 0-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) drop the MEAC opener against South Carolina State University (2-2, 2-0 MEAC) 4-3 Wednesday at the Hardeep Judge Tennis Center to begin a four-match roadstand. 
 
The Lady Tigers won the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead.  SCSU won the first doubles match after Zainah Bendahhou and Smaranda Petreanu defeated freshmen Shakendra Alston and Ekaterina Vorobeva 6-0 at the No. 3 position, but Savannah State won the final two doubles position. 

SSU doubles duo of freshman Sofia Shut'ko and senior Rachida El Kateb defeated SCSU's doubles team of Andjela Vasic and Claudia Roca 6-4 at the No. 2 position and SSU doubles team of freshman Muskaan Ranjan and junior Sansriti Ranjan defeated SCSU's doubles duo of Andjela Mihajlovic and Aleksandra Sredojevic 7-6 (1) to win the point.
 
The Bulldogs tied the match at one after Roca defeated Alston 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 5 singles position and took a 2-1 lead after Petreanu defeated El Kateb 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 6 singles position.
 
Shut'ko tied the match at two after defeating Vasic 7-5, 6-0 at the No. 2 singles position, but South Carolina State took a 3-2 lead after Bendeahhou defeated Muskaan Ranjan 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 4 singles position.
 
Vorobeva tied the match at three after defeating Mihajlovic 7-5, 6-3 at the No. 1 singles position.
 
The match came down to the No. 3 singles position as Sansirti Ranjan won the first set 7-5, but fell to Sredojevic 6-4 in the second set forcing a third set.  In the final set, Sredojevic won 6-2 to give the Bulldogs a point win.
 
The loss snapped a two-match win streak by the Lady Tigers. 
 
The Lady Tigers continue the roadstand with a trip to Daytona Beach, Fla., to face Bethune-Cookman University Thursday, April 5 at 2 p.m.
 
South Carolina State 4, Savannah State 3
Singles
1. Ekaterina Vorobeva (SSU) d. Andjela Mihajlovic (SCSU) 7-5, 6-3
2. Sofia Shut'ko (SSU) d. Andjela Vasic (SCSU) 7-5, 6-0
3. Aleksandra Sredojevic (SCSU) d. Sansriti Ranjan (SSU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
4. Zainab Bendeahhou (SCSU) d. Muskaan Ranjan (SSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Claudia Roca (SCSU) d. Shakendra Alston (SSU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Smaranda Petreanu (SCSU) d. Rachida El Kateb (SSU) 6-4, 6-2
Order of Finish (5,6,2,4,1,3)
 
Doubles
1. Muskaan Ranjan/Sansriti Ranjan (SSU) d. Andjela Mihajlovic/Aleksandra Sredojevic (SCSU) 7-6 (1)
2. Sofia Shut'ko/Rachida El Kateb (SSU) d. Andjela Vasic/Claudia Roca (SCSU) 6-4
3. Zainah Bendahhou/Smaranda Petreanu (SCSU) d. Shakendra Alston/Ekaterina Vorobeva (SSU) 6-0
Order of Finish (3,2,1)
 
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