Michigan
Wisconsin
Michigan Earns Convincing Win Over Wisconsin
3/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 31-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won its second straight dual match Sunday afternoon (March 11), defeating Wisconsin by a score of 7-0 in the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines (5-5, 1-1 Big Ten) captured a close doubles point and posted victories in each of the five singles matches contested en route to their first Big Ten Conference win of the season.
Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn (Leipzig, Germany/Sportgymnasium Leipzig) and sophomore Chisako Sugiyama (Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) earned another convincing victory at the top doubles spot, cruising past Kaylan Caiati and Elizabeth Carpenter by an 8-3 margin to get the Maize and Blue off on the right foot. Kuehn and Sugiyama have surrendered just three games in their last two matches and hold a 7-2 record together in 2006-07.
The Badgers (3-10, 0-5 Big Ten) drew even thanks to Chelsea Nusslock and Kim Roberts, who handed senior Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) and junior Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) an 8-3 loss at No. 3.
Senior Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School) and freshman Tania Mahtani (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) held a 7-5 lead over Nicole Beck and Caitlin Burke at No. 2, but the Wisconsin tandem fought back to take three straight games and a 9-8 advantage. Delicata and Mahtani held serve and then took charge with a 7-3 win in the tiebreaker set, clinching the first team point for the Wolverines. It was the U-M duo's first-career match together.
Michigan began the singles competition with a 2-0 lead after the Badgers were forced to forfeit the No. 6 match. Delicata continued her steady singles play, knocking off Nusslock by a 6-1, 6-3 score to put the Wolverines one win away from clinching the team victory. Delicata holds a team-best four-match winning streak and has been victorious in seven of her 10 dual matches this year.
Exon and Mahtani closed the door on Wisconsin, posting dominating wins within one minute of each other. Exon defeated Roberts 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 for the clincher, and Mahtani followed with a 6-2, 6-0 triumph over Erin Joe at No. 4. Exon has won two straight matches; Mahtani has been victorious in her last three outings.
The Maize and Blue closed the match with a pair of super-tiebreaker wins. The 81st-ranked Kuehn snapped a three-match losing skid with a 1-6, 6-2, 1-0(11) comeback victory over Caiati at No. 1. Sugiyama then sealed the overall sweep, outlasting Carpenter by a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(4) margin at No. 2. Sugiyama improved to 19-6 overall, including a 10-1 mark against Midwest regional opposition.
The Wolverines close out their five-match home stand next weekend, hosting Western Michigan on Friday (March 16) and Alabama on Saturday (March 17). Both matches are scheduled for a 6 p.m. starts at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #81 Jenny Kuehn (U-M) d. Kaylan Caiati, 1-6, 6-2, 1-0(11)
No. 2 -- #76 Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) d. Elizabeth Carpenter, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0(4)
No. 3 -- Kara Delicata (U-M) d. Chelsea Nusslock, 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 -- Tania Mahtani (U-M) d. Erin Jobe, 6-2, 6-0
No. 5 -- Elizabeth Exon (U-M) d. Kim Roberts, 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 -- Allie Shafner (U-M) won by walkover
Doubles
No. 1 -- Kuehn/Sugiyama (U-M) d. Caiati/Carpenter, 8-3
No. 2 -- Delicata/Mahtani (U-M) d. Nicole Beck/Caitlin Burke, 9-8(3)
No. 3 -- Nusslock/Roberts (UW) d. Exon/Shafner, 8-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2, Singles 3-5-4-1-2
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
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Players Mentioned
