Missouri tennis got its footing back Friday, earning its first win in nearly three weeks. The victory came against the No. 22 Florida Gators,  the first matchup of Missouri’s weekend doubleheader that also included a bout against the Auburn Tigers. The win was the first time Missouri has taken down a top-25 opponent under its current staff and roster, with the last instance coming over eight years ago.

The match started rocky for Missouri, with a big 6-1 loss for senior Mary Brumfield and freshman Korina Roso to Florida seniors Alicia Dudeney and Bente Spee. The tides quickly turned for the Tigers, as senior Inah Canete and junior Andrea Artimedi rattled off a quick 6-0 win against junior Rachel Gailis and freshman Reagan Parker. With the match score knotted at one apiece, graduate student Lailaa Bashir and freshman Zoe Lazar ensured the Tigers’ lead going into the singles matches, taking an impactful 6-3 win over freshman pair Noémie Oliveras and Talia Neilson-Gatenby.

Following her doubles success, Artimedi continued with another stellar performance to open up the singles section for the Tigers, sweeping Parker 6-0, 6-0. Roso notched her first win of the weekend, taking down Oliveras on court five 6-3, 6-3. 

After losses from Lazar, Canete and Brumfield, the fate of the match rested in the hands of Bashir. In dramatic fashion, Bashir closed out the match with a win in extra sets, getting the better of Neilson-Gatenby 6-3, 7-6 to lock in a 4-3 win for Missouri over the Gators.

On Sunday, the Tigers attempted to carry their momentum to Auburn, Alabama, where they faced off against the Auburn Tigers. Missouri only won three sets between all three doubles matches to start the match off 0-3. 

The singles section wasn’t much better, with Missouri getting swept again. Notably, Bashir played an outstanding game against Auburn junior Angella Okutoyi, leading 6-3, 1-1 before the game went unfinished. Bashir’s efforts in this match as well as against Florida earned her SEC Player of the Week honors. Roso also put up a good fight against No. 36 ranked freshman Merna Refaat on court four, but ultimately the match went unfinished 6-3, 1-4, and Missouri fell 0-4.

Despite the loss to Auburn, it was a very successful weekend for the Missouri Tigers, who have now proven they can compete with some of the top schools in the country. Now, after a 6-1 loss at No. 49 Ole Miss, the Tigers will travel to Baton Rouge to face off against No. 8 LSU and Southern University in a Sunday doubleheader. 

Edited by Killian Wright | kwright@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com