NORMAN, Okla. — Behind a top-15 win from junior Ana Oparenovic and a three-set match-clinching victory from sophomore Giulia Pairone, Arkansas rallied past Oklahoma 4-3 on Friday at the Headington Family Tennis Center.
With the team score tied 3-3, Pairone cruised to a 6-0 victory in the third set at No. 3 singles to take the match, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-0 and clinch the team’s win.
“We had a lot of people come back tonight from some tough positions, both in singles and doubles,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “It really was a great total team effort.”
The Razorbacks (2-2) won the doubles point for the fourth straight match this season and picked up three singles victories to top the Sooners (1-4).
Oklahoma’s Skyler Miller and Malene Stripp struck first in doubles, winning 6-3 at No. 3, but Arkansas won the final two matches to claim the opening point. The Razorbacks got a 6-4 win from Pairone and senior Mia Jurasic at No. 2 and then earned a 7-5 victory from Oparenovic and freshman Tatum Rice at the top spot.
In singles, the Sooners leveled the match with a win at No. 6 from Miller. But the Razorbacks quickly found the lead again when Oparenovic delivered a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 win at the top spot over No. 14 ranked Lily Miyazaki and Rice won a three-setter at No. 5 against Stripp.
The Sooners pulled even with wins at No. 4 and then No. 2, but Pairone, who is now 4-0 on the season, sealed the overall team win for the Razorbacks.
Up Next
Arkansas will play Oklahoma State (4-1) at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Arkansas 4, Oklahoma 3
Singles Competition
1. Ana Oparenovic (AR) def. No. 14 Lily Miyazaki (OU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
2. Jasmine Asghar (OU) def. Mia Jurasic (AR) 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2
3. Giulia Pairone (AR) def. Christiana Brigante (OU) 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0
4. Camila Romero (OU) def. Natsuho Arakawa (AR) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Tatum Rice (AR) def. Malene Stripp (OU) 7-5, 1-6, 6-1
6. Skyler Miller (OU) def. Peyton Jennings (AR) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles Competition
1. Ana Oparenovic/Tatum Rice (AR) def. Jasmine Asghar/Lily Miyazaki (OU) 7-5
2. Mia Jurasic/Giulia Pairone (AR) def. Christiana Brigante/Simran Kaur Sethi (OU) 6-4
3. Skyler Miller/Malene Stripp (OU) def. Peyton Jennings/Natsuho Arakawa (AR) 6-3
Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,5,4,2,3)
