Michigan Drops Spring Break Match to Hurricanes

Friday, March 2

Coral Gables, Fla.

Noon

Michigan

Miami (Fla.)

3/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team suffered a 6-1 loss to No. 9-ranked Miami (Fla.) Friday afternoon (March 2) at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The Hurricanes (7-2) sent the Wolverines (3-4) to their fourth straight defeat, earning a doubles sweep and victories on five of six singles courts.

Audra Cohen and Caren Seenauth spoiled the career doubles debut of sophomores Lindsey Howard (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) and Chisako Sugiyama (Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy), claiming an 8-3 win at No. 2 to give Miami the early momentum. Graduate senior Jenny Kuehn (Leipzig, Germany/Sportgymnasium) and senior Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary School) came up short in their bid to upset the Hurricanes' No. 8-ranked team of Audrey Banada and Romy Farah, falling 8-5 at No. 1 to give Miami the doubles point.

Cohen proved that she is worthy of her No. 1 national singles ranking, posting a convincing 6-2, 6-0 triumph over the 43-ranked Kuehn at No. 1 to push the Hurricane lead to 2-0. Senior Elizabeth Exon's (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) 6-2, 6-0 loss to Farah at No. 3 put Miami one victory away from clinching the team win.

The 26th-ranked Banada provided the clincher, handing Sugiyama a 6-3, 6-4 loss at No. 2. It was just Sugiyama's fifth defeat in 22 matches in 2006-07.

Miami closed out the match with victories on three of the four remaining courts. Delicata put U-M on the board with a 4-6, 6-1, 2-1 ret. win over Seenauth at No. 4. Freshman Tania Mahtani (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) nearly outlasted Gina Sabatino at No. 5, falling by a 6-7(3), 6-1, 1-0(5) margin.

The Wolverines begin a five-match homestand on Sunday (March 4) when they welcome No. 23-ranked Texas A&M to the Varsity Tennis Center. The match is scheduled to start at noon.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- #1 Audra Cohen (Miami) d. #43 Jenny Kuehn, 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 -- #24 Audrey Banada (Miami) d. #49 Chisako Sugiyama, 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 -- Romy Farah (Miami) d. Elizabeth Exon, 6-2, 6-0 
No. 4 -- Kara Delicata (U-M) d. Caren Seenauth, 4-6, 6-1, 2-1 ret.
No. 5 -- Gina Sabatino (Miami) d. Tania Mahtani, 6-7(3), 6-1, 1-0(5)
No. 6 -- Emily Mowery (Miami) d. Allie Shafner, 6-4, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 -- #8 Banada/Farah (Miami) d. Delicata/Kuehn, 8-5
No. 2 -- Cohen/Seenauth (Miami) d. Lindsey Howard/Sugiyama, 8-3
No. 3 -- Sabatino/Claudia Wasilewski (Miami) d. Exon/Shafner, 8-3

Order of Completion: Doubles 2-3-1, Singles 1-3-2-6-4-5

Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423