No. 25 Syracuse Prevails for its Fourth Straight Win
By Brad Klein
CitrusTV Women’s Tennis Beat Reporter
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The pendulum has swung back in favor of the Syracuse tennis team. The Orange won their first four then lost four and are now back on a hot streak.
Syracuse (8-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) won its fourth-straight match, beating Notre Dame (8-3, 2-1 ACC) 4-3. The Orange’s newfound success on the doubles courts has sparked the new win streak as they have won the doubles point in all but one of their wins. Today was no different.
Despite Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez winning first doubles, Maria Tritou and Sofya Golubovskaya were swept 6-0 in their doubles set. Tritou has been filling in for Golubovskaya’s usual doubles partner, Sonya Trescheva. Trescheva has been shelved with a sprained ankle since the beginning of February. Since then, they have only won one set during their time together.
Head Coach Younes Limam was able to fall back on his depth. Dina Hegab and Guzal Yusupova clipped Zoe Taylor and Ally Bojczuk 6-2 to clinch the doubles point.
The Orange got off to a great start in singles. Golubovskaya bounced back from her bicep tendinitis with a straight set victory over Bess Waldram 6-0, 7-6. Knutson followed this with a two-set win of her own. She topped Zoe Spence on the first singles court 7-5, 6-1.
While Knutson gave the Orange a 3-0 lead, Ramirez was on the next court with a chance to clinch for the Orange. She had taken the first set from Bojczuk 6-2, before tying second frame 5-5. Ramirez was unable to break Bojczuk and would eventually lose the second and third set 5-7, 2-6, respectively.
Meanwhile on the fifth singles court, ND’s Brooke Broda dominated senior Libi Mesh 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets. Although the Fighting Irish were shifting the momentum their way, Yusupova still had a chance to clinch for the Orange. But much like Ramirez, she won her first set, but lost the second in a 7-6 tiebreak. Her opponent, Cameron Corse, ran away with the match 0-6, 7-6, 6-3.
With duel tied 3-3, it all came down to Dina Hegab to save Syracuse from an upset on the road. She defeated Taylor on the sixth court in a three set marathon 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.
All told, it took the Orange about four hours to finish off the Fighting Irish, but they finished February streaking after starting the month skidding. Syracuse will face another ACC road test next weekend as they travel down to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech.
