University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Fall to Defending National Champion UCLA
1/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Defending national champion UCLA proved too much for Minnesota in a 4-0 women’s tennis victory in the opening round of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor championships on Saturday in Los Angeles.
The third-ranked Bruins won all four individual matches in straight sets and held leads in the other five matches, which were suspended once the victory was clinched. It was UCLA’s 20th straight victory as the Bruins moved to 2-0 this season. Minnesota fell to 1-1 and takes on either LSU or DePaul on Sunday.
The Gophers’ top effort came at No. 5 singles from Tijana Koprivica, who lost her first set 6-4 to Stephanie Wetmore and held a 3-1 lead in the second set before the match was suspended. Jackie Sperling dropped her opening set at No. 6 singles to Anna-Viktoria Lind and led 2-1 in the second set when the match ended.
The Bruins boast three nationally-ranked singles players as 31st-ranked Andrea Remynse beat Karina Chiarelli 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, 63rd-ranked Maya Johansson defeated Alessandra Ferrazzi 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles and 106th-ranked Yasmin Schnack held a 6-1, 5-1 lead over Niltooli Wilkins when the match was called. Ashley Joelson picked up UCLA’s other singles win with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Magdalena Wiecha at No. 4.
In doubles, Remynse and Schnack beat Chiarelli and Alex Seaton 8-2 at No. 1 and Johansson and Wetmore, ranked 39th nationally, beat Koprivica and Wiecha 8-1 at No. 3. Joelson and Carling Seguso of UCLA led Ferrazzi and Wilkins 5-4 at No. 2 when the match was suspended.
Players Mentioned
