MIAMI — FIU's 66th-ranked women's tennis program won its eighth match in-a-row on Monday afternoon, defeating visiting-Delaware 6-1 at the PayCargo Tennis Center. 

The Panthers (10-2) opened their final regular season week of home matches in style with convincing win over the Blue Hens (11-6). FIU took the doubles' point and then won 5-of-6 singles matches to remain undefeated at its home facility. 

Ekaterina Khairutdinova and Oyinlomo Quadre blanked their opponents, 6-0, at No. 1 doubles to put FIU on the brink of a doubles' win. A short time later, Valery Gynina and Dana Baidaulet won 6-2 at No. 3 doubles to clinch the doubles' point. 

In singles, all matches were played to completion with Katerina Mandelikova leading off with a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 4. Quadre also won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2 to put the Panthers up 3-0. FIU fell at No. 5, but Aleksandra Simeva then clinched the match to give the Panthers a 4-1 led. Simeva won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 6. 

Valery Gynina needed three sets at No. 3 singles, but came back after losing the first, 6-4, to win the second, 6-2, and the tiebreak, 10-8. Khairutdinova defeated her opponent at No. 1 singles, who is ranked 94th by the ITA,  7-6, 6-3.

UP NEXT

FIU will take on Liberty in Conference USA (CUSA) action on Friday, Mar. 28 at noon at home. 

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