Women’s Tennis: No. 12 Cavaliers start season 2-0

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 12 Virginia women’s tennis team opened the 2024 dual match season with two victories on Thursday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

Virginia downed Richmond 4-0 in the first match of the day before topping James Madison 7-0 in the finale.

Sophomore Annabelle Xu picked up a pair of wins on the top court, including clinching the victory against Richmond. Junior Mélodie Collard had two dominant victories on court five, winning 6-0, 6-1 against Richmond and 6-1, 6-0 against JMU.

Freshman Blanca Pico Navarro made her dual match debut, playing at court six in both matches and picking up her first victory with a 6-4, 6-1 win against the Dukes’ Sara Sadadinovic.

Senior Hibah Shaikh also went 2-0 in singles playing on court two.

The Cavaliers close out their opening weekend with another doubleheader on Saturday (Jan. 20) when they host Marshall at 10 a.m., and Longwood at 5 p.m.

VIRGINIA 4, RICHMOND 0

Singles
1. #86 Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Carly Cohen (RIC) 6-0, 6-1
2. #46 Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Leonor Oliveira (RIC) 6-1, 6-0
3. #88 Sara Ziodato (VA) vs. Elizabeth Novak (RIC) 6-3, 4-0, unfinished
4. Elaine Chervinsky (VA) vs. Claire Le Du (RIC) 6-1, 5-2, unfinished
5. #82 Melodie Collard (VA) def. Polina Shitkova (RIC) 6-0, 6-1
6. Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) vs. Lara Bakhaya (RIC) 6-1, 3-1, unfinished

Doubles
1. Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Lara Bakhaya/Polina Shitkova (RIC) 6-2
2. Sara Ziodato/Annabelle Xu (VA) vs. Claire Le Du/Elizabeth Novak (RIC) 3-4, unfinished
3. Natasha Subhash/Meggie Navarro (VA) def. Carly Cohen/Lainey O’Neil (RIC) 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (5,2,1)

VIRGINIA 7, JAMES MADISON 0

Singles
1. #86 Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Cate Broerman (JMU) 6-3, 6-3
2. #46 Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Daria Munteanu (JMU) 6-3, 6-1
3. Natasha Subhash (VA) def. Hope Moulin (JMU) 6-2, 6-1
4. #88 Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Ines Oliveira (JMU) 6-3, 6-2
5. #82 Melodie Collard (VA) def. Reka Matko (JMU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) def. Sara Sadadinovic (JMU) 6-4, 6-1

Doubles
1. Melodie Collard/Elaine Chervinsky (VA) vs. Cate Broerman/Hope Moulin (JMU) 5-3, unfinished
2. Natasha Subhash/Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Ines Oliveira/Daria Munteanu (JMU) 6-2
3. Sara Ziodato/Meggie Navarro (VA) def. Reka Matko/Hayley Glen (JMU) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,3,2,4,1,6)