Michigan
Wisconsin
Another Sweep: Michigan Shuts Out Wisconsin
3/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: Madison, Wis. (Nielsen Tennis Stadium)
Score: Michigan 7, Wisconsin 0
Records: U-M (5-4, 1-1 Big Ten), Wisconsin (5-8, 0-3 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, March 15 -- at Marquette (Milwaukee, Wis.), 12:30 p.m. CDT
MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 29-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team captured its third straight sweep Friday evening (March 14), claiming a dominating 7-0 victory over Wisconsin at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. The Wolverines (5-4, 1-1 Big Ten) won eight of the nine matches contested to move above the .500 mark and secure their first Big Ten Conference win of the season. It was U-M's fourth straight triumph over the Badgers dating back to 2006.
Michigan's No. 53-ranked doubles team of junior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) and sophomore Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) remained perfect in league play and provided the Wolverines with the early momentum thanks to an 8-4 victory over Elizabeth Carpenter and Jessica Seyferth at No. 1. The U-M pair is 9-6 overall in 2007-08.
The freshmen duo of Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson HS) and Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) was victorious for the second straight match, earning an 8-4 decision over Emese Kardhordo and Morgan Tuttle at No. 2 to clinch the first team point for the Maize and Blue.
Junior Lindsey Howard(Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) picked up her 10th overall singles win, as her convincing 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Tuttle at No. 6 put the Wolverines in front 2-0. Howard has won five of eight matches in dual-match action this year. Freshman Rika Tatsuno(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) extended her winning streak to three matches with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Chelsea Nusslock at No. 5, which pulled Michigan within one point of securing the team win.
Sugiyama, ranked 55th nationally, provided the clincher with her 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Carpenter at No. 1. Sugiyama has won four straight, and she now has 70 wins for her singles career (70-26). Taney won for the third time in four tries at the No. 2 position, defeating Kardhordo by a 6-1, 6-1 count for U-M's fifth team point.
Muresan kept things rolling, as she posted a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Seyferth at No. 4 to push her winning streak to four matches. The 99th-ranked Mahtani completed the singles sweep with a 4-6, 6-3, 1-0(3) comeback decision over Katya Mirnova at No. 3. Mahtani has won three straight dating back to Feb. 22.
The Wolverines will face Marquette on Saturday (March 15) in Milwaukee, Wis. The match is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. CDT start at the Helfaer Tennis Stadium.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #55 Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) d. Elizabeth Carpenter, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 -- Whitney Taney (U-M) d. Emese Kardhordo, 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 -- #99 Tania Mahtani (U-M) d. Katya Mirnova, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0(3)
No. 4 -- Denise Muresan (U-M) d. Jessica Seyferth, 6-3, 7-5
No. 5 -- Rika Tatsuno (U-M) d. Chelsea Nusslock, 6-0, 6-4
No. 6 -- Lindsey Howard (U-M) d. Morgan Tuttle, 6-0, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- #53 Mahtani/Sugiyama (U-M) d. Carpenter/Seyferth, 8-4
No. 2 -- Muresan/Taney (U-M) d. Kardhordo/Tuttle, 8-4
No. 3 -- Mirnova/Nusslock (Wisconsin) d. Howard/Allie Shafner, 8-7(3)
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2-3, Singles 6-5-1-2-4-3
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
