The No. 72 Minnesota women's tennis earned its first victory of the season today when it topped Kentucky 5-2 in Huntington, W.Va. The Gophers bounced back from a 4-3 setback to No. 53 Marshall in their season-opening match on Friday.
Minnesota won the doubles point and four of six singles matches to earn the win. Senior Alessandra Ferrazzi, who was named to the All-Big Ten Team last year, improved to 2-0 this year at No. 2 singles as she dispatched Jessica Stiles 6-3, 6-4.
Freshman Yuliana Umanets, who joined the team this month, also improved to 2-0 on the year after a tidy 6-3, 6-2 win against Marni Venter.
Sophomore Alexa Palen picked up her first singles win of the season, winning a three-set affair with Khristina Blajkevitch 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. Also winning her first match of the year was Magdalena Wiecha who beat CeCe Witten 6-1, 6-2.
Freshman Natallia Pintusava, who is ranked No. 51 and upset No. 27 Michaela Kissell of Marshall on Friday, fell to Megan Broderick 3-6, 7-6 (4), 1-0 (10-6).
Pintusava paired with Umanets to win 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, while Mariana Spilca and Wiecha triumphed 8-1 at No. 3 doubles.
Minnesota, who was 10-14 last season and 3-7 in the Big Ten, plays at Northwestern (Feb. 5) and Marquette (Feb. 6) before competing in its first home match of the year on Friday, Feb. 11 against Oklahoma.
1/22/2011 at Huntington, W.Va.
(Huntington Tennis Club)
No. 72 Minnesota 5, Kentucky 2
Singles competition
1. Megan Broderick (KEN) def. No. 51 Natallia Pintusava (MINN) 3-6, 7-6 (4), 1-0 (10-6)
2. Alessandra Ferrazzi (MINN) def. Jessica Stiles (KEN) 6-2, 6-4
3. Alexa Palen (MINN) def. Khristina Blajkevitch (KEN) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
4. Yuliana Umanets (MINN) def. Marni Venter (KEN) 6-3, 6-2
5. Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) def. CeCe Witten (KEN) 6-1, 6-2
6. Caitlin McGraw (KEN) def. Peta Forsyth (MINN) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (9)
Doubles competition
1. Megan Broderick/Jessica Stiles (KEN) def. No. 84 Alessandra Ferrazzi/Alexa Palen (MINN) 8-4
2. Natallia Pintusava/Yuliana Umanets (MINN) def. Khristina Blajkevitch/CeCe Witten (KEN) 8-4
3. Mariana Spilca/Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) def. Marni Venter/Caitlin McGraw (KEN) 8-1
Match Notes:
Minnesota 1-1; National ranking No. 72
Kentucky 0-1
