San Diego Aviators Tennis Team Defeats Springfield

CARLSBAD, CA – Arina Rodionova won both of her sets helping the San Diego Aviators to a 24-20 victory over the previously undefeated Springfield Lasers in a World TeamTennis match Sunday evening at the Omni La Costa Resort.

Rodionova teamed with Anna-Lena Groenefeld for a 5-2 victory over Abigail Spears and Anna Blinkova in women's doubles, the match's second set.

Rodionova defeated Blinkova, 5-3, in women's singles, the fourth set, increasing the Aviators lead to 19-14 entering the final set.

Springfield's Enrique Lopez Perez was a 5-4 winner over Darian King in men's singles, the final set, to send the match into extended play.

Under WTT rules, if the trailing team wins the final set, the match goes into extended play, which continues until the leading team wins one game, or the match is tied, sending it to a super tiebreaker.

Perez won the first game of extended play, but King won the second to give the Aviators (4-3) the victory.

The Aviators other set victory came in the third set, men's doubles, when Jonny O'Mara and King defeated Perez and Jean-Julien Roger, 5-4.

In the opening set, mixed doubles, Roger and Spears defeated O'Mara and Groenefeld, 5-4, for the Lasers (5-1).

Under WTT rules, when a set is tied, 4-4, it is decided by a nine- point tiebreaker.

The Aviators are scheduled to play host to the league-leading Philadelphia Freedoms Monday at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

– City News Service