BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Feb. 3, 2013) – It was another disappointing setback for the Saint Francis women's tennis team as it went down in another tight 4-2 loss at Lehigh. Already giving up no. 6 singles, SFU found itself down two points after it fell at no. 1 doubles and giving up no. 3.

Sachs and Patel, SFU no. 2 doubles, picked up their fourth win of the year against the Mountain Hawks' Jill Sloand and Emily Bruch, winning easily 8-3.

“We were not in a position to take third doubles playing a walk-on,” said Red Flash coach Paul Tobin. “Lucy and Rafaela struggled at no. 1 and that was our only opportunity to clinch the doubles point.”

Saint Francis started off strong in singles picking up wins at the nos. 3 and 4 positions. Lucy Jasso (San Luis Potosi, Mexico/Instituto Potosino) got broken at 3-2 against the Hawks' Ali Kaminetsky in the first set, unable to come back fell 6-2. In the second set Jasso broke Kiminetsky at 2-0 and quickly went up 3:0. From that point, Jasso held the next six service games to take the set and match.

SFU's Alex Sachs (Parkland, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) found herself down 4-0 to Lehigh's Emily Bruch only to come back and win the next six games and the first set. Bruch fought back on the second sat breaking Sachs at 4-4 to take a 5-4 lead and on serve. Sachs shot back with two service winners and volley winner to push the match to 6-6. Sachs came out quickly holding twice and breaking three times to take the set 7-6.

“Great wins from both Lucy and Alex,” said Tobin. “I don't think they played their best, but they did what they needed to do to win, they were fighting.”

There were tough losses at every other position.

Red Flash no. 1 Rafaela Panizza (Jundiai, Brazil/) was up 4-1 in the first when Hawks' junior Jenai Bilimoria took the next three games tying it up at 4-4. Panizza managed to break to go up 5-4 but quickly found herself down a break at 6-6. In a very close tiebreaker on which both players held, Bilimoria took a crucial service break at 5-5 and closed the set 7-6. In the second set, Panizza already down 4-1, fought back to 4-3, down another break Panizza broke back to 5-4 unable to hold again Panizza lost 6-4.

Shivani Patel (Leicestershire, England/Repton School) playing no. 2 for Red Flash down 6-3 in the first to Lehigh's Abby Farrell, came back to claim the second 6-3. Patel was up 2-1 on serve to go up 3-1 in the third. Farrell managed to climb back to 5-5 and in a disputed line call at 40-30, Farrell took a 6-5 lead. Farrell went on to serve for the match at win 7-5.

SFU's Camila Diaz (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Colegio La Piedad), moving up to no. 5, easily took the first set 6-1 against the Hawks' Molly Brooks but found herself at 5-4 serving for the set in the second. Unable to hold, Diaz tied things up at 5-5 forcing a tiebreaker at 6-6. Up 3-1, Brooks shot back four points to go up 5-3. Diaz, unable to hold, lost 7-4. Going into the super tiebreaker, Diaz found herself up again 3-1 only to lose the next five points to 6-3. Diaz managed to scrap three points to tie at 6-6, Brooks made two service winners going up 8-6 and finally closed out the set 10-7.

“I am not sure what to think. A loss is a loss no matter what the score is; but I feel we pushed things to the edge and it could have gone either way,” said Tobin. “It has been a tough weekend for the women going into matches fighting a possible two point down without even playing a match.”