April 17, 2009

ALEXANDRIA, LA - Grambling State's men and women as well as Jackson State's men and women advance to the semifinals in the first day of SWAC Tennis Championship action.

The Grambling women defeated Alabama A&M 4-3 in the quarterfinals and moved on to face the # 1 seed from the East, Alcorn State. The Jackson State women edged out Prairie View A&M 4-3 and met with the West's #1 seed, Southern.

On the men's side, Grambling cruised past Mississippi Valley State 4-1 and advanced to the semifinals round to take on Alcorn, the #1 seed from the East. Jackson State posted a slim 4-3 victory over Southern and moved on to meet the #1 West seed, Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

All semifinal matches were suspended due to inclement weather on Friday afternoon. Play will resume at 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 19. Championship matches will follow the semifinal round.

Complete results are below.

Quarterfinals- Women Jackson State def Prairie View A&M, 4-3 Doubles Britney Shy & Paulina Vargas (JSU) def Melanie Brown & Bianca Simpson (PVAM), 8-4 Asha Saravana Mohan & Angela Rose (JSU) def Margaret Banks & Munashe Makuni (PVAM), 8-5

Singles Melanie Brown (PVAM) def Paulina Vargas (JSU), 6-4,2-6,6-3 Bianca Simpson (PVAM) def Geneva Warren (JSU), 6-3,6-2 Melissa Guerrier (PVAM) def Asha Saravana Mohan (JSU), 6-2,6-7,6-1 Britney Shy (JSU) def Munashe Makuni (PVAM), 6-1,6-2 Angela Rose (JSU) def Margaret Banks (PVAM),6-1,6-4 Valentina Prado (JSU) def Charli Cooksey (PVAM), 6-1,6-4

Quarterfinals -Women Grambling State def Alabama A&M, 4-3 Doubles Sinovuyo Ndlabhu & Nolukhanyo Ndlabhu (GSU) def Yemurai Muskwe & Tei'sha Mixon (AAMU), 8-3 Jorden Shaw & Marqueita Maynard (GSU) def Alison Gladness & Jasmine Cherry (AAMU), 8-1

Singles Tei'sha Mixon (AAMU) def Maia Semerdjieva (GSU), 6-1,6-2 Sinovuyo Ndlabhu (GSU) def Me'Shala Johnson (AAMU), 7-6 (5),6-2 Brittany Jelks (AAMU) def Nolukhanyo Ndlabhu (GSU), 6-0,6-4 Jasmine Cherry (AAMU) def Malaina Davis (GSU), 6-3,6-0 Jorden Shaw (GSU) def Yemurai Muskwe (AAMU), 6-1,6-2 Marqueita Maynard (GSU) def Alison Gladness (AAMU),6-3,6-2

Quarterfinals - Men Grambling State def Mississippi Valley State, 4-1 Doubles Anton Belikov & Emmanuel Fortune (GSU) def Melvin Morton & Derrick Ashford (MVSU), 8-2 Victor Semerdjiev & Ryan Charles (GSU) def Lorenzo Fletcher & Adarian West (MVSU), 8-0

Singles Nicolas Rufyikiri (GSU) def Elliott Simmons (MVSU), 6-1,7-5 Johnathan Arrington (MVSU) def Ceron Rolle (GSU), 6-2,5-2 Anton Belikov (GSU) def Melvin Morton (MVSU), 6-0,6-0 Ryan Charles (GSU) def Derrick Ashford (GSU), 6-0,6-0

Quarterfinals - Men Jackson State def Southern, 4-3 Doubles Vishesh Bhatia & Nicolas Crawford (JSU) def Marlon Gichie & Tyler Chin (SU), 8-6 Elvis Espinal & Kashwayne Nelson (SU) def Sergio Salinas & Arturo Jimenez (JSU), 8-2 Jiman Nelson & Patrick Steel (JSU) - default win

Singles Marlon Gichie (SU) def Jiman Nelson (JSU), 6-2,6-1 Vishesh Bhatia (JSU) def Bino Rasedisa (SU), 6-2,6-2 Arturo Jimenez (JSU) def Tyler Chin (SU), 6-2,6-4 Elvis Espinal (SU) def Sergio Salinas (JSU), 6-0,6-0 Kashwayne Nelson (SU) def Nicolas Crawford (JSU), 6-3,6-2 Patrick Steele (JSU) - default win