TAMPA – Florida Southern's Natalija Popovic edged Gianna Pinasco, 7-6 (7-0), 6-4, in the final match of the day to lift Florida Southern to a come-from behind 5-4 win at the University of Tampa in Sunshine State Conference action here Tuesday.
The Moccasins, 7-4 and 1-1 in the SSC, took the first point of the match as Selin Devrimci and Lorena Rionda posted an 8-4 win at number two doubles over Maddie Stephens and Danielle Beyes. Tampa grabbed a 2-1 lead with a 8-5 win by Gianna Pinasco and Lauriane Cardot at number three over FSC's Popovic and Cassie Eldredge along with a 9-8 (9-7) victory by Kristen Mee and Emily Hewland over the Mocs' duo of Sasha Nionova and Linnea Skymberg.
Skymberg grabbed a 6-0, 6-1 victory at number two singles for Florida Southern with a win over Hewland to tied the match at 2-all while Rionda put the Mocs up one with a 6-1, 6-1, defeat of Beyes at number four.
Tampa, 6-3 and 0-1 in the SSC, tied the match at 3-all as Bridgett Blowe downed FSC's Carolyn Cureton, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) and Maddie Stephens put the Spartans up 4-3 with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 win versus Devrimci at number three singles.
Nionova then beat Mee, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-2 to again tie the match, setting up Popovic's game winning match.
Florida Southern returns home on Wednesday to face Augustana of South Dakota at the Warden Tennis Center at 3 p.m.
