The 53rd-ranked University of Minnesota women's tennis team dropped its fourth dual Friday night as 35th-ranked Michigan blanked the Golden Gophers (7-8, 0-4) 7-0 at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Wolverines (9-5, 3-1) earned a doubles sweep and surrendered just one set in six singles matches en route to their sixth straight victory.
Michigan's top doubles team of Jenny Kuehn and Chisako Sugiyama posted an 8-2 triumph over Tijana Koprivica and Ashley Schellhas to move the Golden Gopher duo's dual record to 4-3. At No. 3, the Wolverines clinched the doubles point when Allie Shafner and Lindsey Howard recorded an 8-3 win over Karina Chiarelli and Danielle Mousseau. Kara Delicata and Tania Mahtani completed the sweep at No. 2 after Minnesota retired due to an injury to Ida Malmberg. The score was tied at 4-4 at the time of retirement.
In singles play, 69th-ranked Kuehn won the first 21 points in her No. 2 singles match against Koprivica, eventually wrapping up a 6-1, 6-3 victory to give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead. The loss moved Koprivica's record in Big Ten matches to 1-3. At No. 3, Delicata cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 win over Mousseau. With the score knotted at 3-3 in the first set, Delicata reeled off wins in nine straight games to provide Michigan with a 3-0 advantage.
At No. 6, Mikayla Rogers lost her first Big Ten match, falling 6-3, 6-1 to Tanvi Dudhela, while Risebrough fell 7-5, 6-2 to Mahtani at No. 4.
At No. 1, 87th-ranked Sugiyama posted a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory to out-last Schellhas. The loss moved Schellhas' dual record to 9-6, including a 2-2 mark in league matches. Elizabeth Exon used a late charge to close out Chiarelli by a score of 6-2, 7-6 (2) at No. 5 and seal the overall sweep for the Wolverines.
The Golden Gophers wrap up their road trip on Sunday at 10 a.m., at Penn State
#53 Minnesota at #35 Michigan
March 30, 2007
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Singles
1. #87 Chisako Sugiyama (MICH) def. Ashley Schellhas (MINN), 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. #69 Jenny Kuehn (MICH) def. Tijana Koprivica (MINN), 6-1, 6-3
3. Kara Delicata (MICH) def. Danielle Mousseau (MINN), 6-3, 6-0
4. Tania Mahtani (MICH) def. Lindsay Risebrough (MINN), 7-5, 6-2
5. Elizabeth Exon (MICH) def. Karina Chiarelli (MINN), 6-3, 7-6 (2)
6. Tanvi Dudhela (MICH) def. Mikayla Rogers (MINN), 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 2,3,6,4,1,5
Doubles
1. Kuehn/Sugiyama (MICH) def. Koprivica/Schellhas (MINN), 8-2
2. Delicata/Mahtani (MICH) def. Ida Malmberg/Risebrough (MINN), 4-4 ret.
3. Lindsey Howard/Allie Shafner (MICH) def. Chiarelli/Mousseau (MINN), 8-3
Order of finish: 1,3,2
#35 Michigan def. #53 Minnesota, 7-0
