MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The No. 2 seed FIU women's tennis team came up short in a 4-1 defeat against No. 3 seed Charlotte in the semifinal round of the 2022 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship on Saturday afternoon on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
 
The loss marked just the second for the Panthers in over two months and the first against a conference opponent this season.  FIU now stands at 17-4, while Charlotte advances to Sunday's Conference USA Championship match.
 
The match opened with a heated doubles battle between the teams as Andreea Velcea and Kristina Miletic paired up to post a 6-4 win over Charlotte's tandem of Ruxi Schech and Kaavya Sawhney in the No. 2 position to put the Panthers ahead before the 49ers rallied with a 6-4 win in the No. 3 slot and claimed the point with a 7-6 (8-6) victory at No. 1.
 
FIU's Yasmine Kabbaj kept the Panthers in play with a quick 6-3, 6-1 win in the No. 1 position over Margaux Maquet, but Charlotte would claim victories at the No. 3, 4 and 5 positions to clinch the match.
 
FIU's 17 dual victories this season mark its highest single-season total since the 2017-18 campaign, when it also recorded 17 wins.
 
UP NEXT:  The 2022 NCAA Women's Tennis Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, May 2 at 6:30 p.m. and will be aired live on NCAA.com.
 
Individual NCAA qualifiers will be announced on Tuesday, May 3.
 
3-seed Charlotte vs 2-seed FIU
4/23/2022 at Murfreesboro, Tenn.
#51/3-seed Charlotte 4, #41/2-seed FIU 1
 
Singles competition
1. Yasmine Kabbaj (FIU) def. Margaux Maquet (CLT) 6-3, 6-1
2. Kamila Umarova (FIU) vs. Ruxi Schech (CLT) 7-6 (7-1), 1-1, unfinished
3. Rocio Safont (CLT) def. Andjela Skrobonja (FIU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Lucia Quiterio (CLT) def. Kristina Miletic (FIU) 6-1, 6-0
5. Emma Wilkins (CLT) def. Andreea Velcea (FIU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Basak Akbas (FIU) vs. Lucie Petruzelova (CLT) 6-7 (2-7), 3-2, unfinished
 
Doubles competition
1. #29 Margaux Maquet/Lucia Quiterio (CLT) def. Kamila Umarova/Andjela Skrobonja (FIU) 7-6 (8-6)
2. Andreea Velcea/Kristina Miletic (FIU) def. Ruxi Schech/Kaavya Sawhney (CLT) 6-4
3. Rocio Safont/Lucie Petruzelova (CLT) def. Yasmine Kabbaj/Basak Akbas (FIU) 6-4
 
Match Notes:
3-seed Charlotte 19-6; National ranking #51
2-seed FIU 17-4; National ranking #41
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,1,5,3)
2022 Conference USA Women's Tennis