FORT MYERS, Fla. – Junior Salma Loudili recorded the clincher in No. 6 singles to lift the FIU women's tennis team to its first win of 2023 on Sunday morning, 4-3, in its season opener against Liberty (1-1) in Fort Myers, Fla. The Panthers won the doubles point prior to ringing three of the first four singles wins to clinch the match at 4-1 prior to the 4-3 result.
 
Senior Kristina Miletic and freshman Katerina Mandelikova opened the morning with the first doubles win at the No. 3 position for the Panthers, dropping Liberty's Tiffany Nguyen and Micaela Ode Mitre, 6-2, followed by Kamila Umarova and Ekaterina Khairutdinova earning a decisive 6-1 victory in No. 1 doubles over Marina Davtyan and Maria Juliana Parra Romero to clinch the advantage.
 
Sophomore Yasmine Kabbaj and freshman Barakat Oyinlomo rounded out doubles action with a 6-2 victory over Liberty's Alexandra Almborg and Esther Lovato in No. 2 doubles.
 
FIU then jumped out to a 3-1 lead through singles action prior to Loudili clinching the match, as Khairutdinova pushed a 2-0 margin after notching her first career dual singles win over Almborg, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 2 singles.
 
Liberty's Esther Lovato edged freshman Oyinlomo Quadre in her FIU debut, 3-6, 4-6, though, Kamila Umarova avenged the loss at No. 3 singles in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, over Liberty's Davtyan to push the 3-1 advantage. Loudili then would handle business to secure the victory at No. 6 singles for her first dual win as a Panther, dropping Ode Mitre, 6-3, 6-3, for the 4-1 clinch.
 
Despite the clinch, the Flames would earn a pair of singles victories at the No. 1 and No. 5 position, seeing Kabbaj fall 2-6, 5-7, to Parra Romero, while Mandelikova slipped in a three-set clash to Nguyen, 6-1, 4-6, 5-7.
 
UP NEXT
FIU competes in the Coral Gables regional of the ITA Kickoff Weekend, hosted by Miami, as the Panthers will compete against the 11^th-ranked Hurricanes on Saturday, Jan. 28. First serve is slated for an 11 a.m. start.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.