University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Drop 4-3 Heartbreaker At Penn State
4/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
The Minnesota women's tennis team dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker at Penn State on Friday night. The Gophers fall to 5-14 overall (1-6 Big Ten), while the Nittany Lions improve to 7-12 (2-5 Big Ten). Minnesota plays it final road match of the season at 11 a.m. on Sunday at No. 64 Ohio State.
Penn State took the doubles point after winning close 8-6 matches at both the second and third positions. Senior Alessandra Ferrazzi and freshman Natallia Pintusava defeated Amy Simidian and Marie Bedard 8-5 at No. 1 doubles to improve to 2-3 in doubles this year.
Minnesota needed to win four singles matches to win the dual-match, but came up short in their bid to end a two-match losing streak. Penn State took a 2-0 lead after Simidian down Ferrazzi 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 singles, but the Gophers trimmed the lead to 2-1 when Doron Muravnik handled Maria Prishlyak 7-5, 6-4 at the sixth slot. Muravnik snapped a two-match losing skid with the win.
Petra Januskova defeated 74th-ranked Natallia Pintusava 7-6, 6-3 at first singles to give Penn State a 3-1 lead. The Gophers made it 3-2 when Magdalena Wiecha downed Carmen Sandor 6-4, 7-6 (4) at No. 4 singles.
The Nittany Lions earned their fourth and match-clinching point when Bedard outlasted Yuliana Umanets 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) in a marathon, back-and-forth match at fifth singles. Alexa Palen earned Minnesota's final point after dispatching Denisa Zobeideh 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 at No. 3 singles.
After this weekend the Gophers return home to face Illinois (April 22) and Iowa (April 24).
Tennis Match Results
Minnesota vs Penn State
Apr 15, 2011 at University Park, Pa.
(Sarni Tennis Center)
Penn State 4, Minnesota 3
Singles competition
1. Petra Januskova (PSU) def. #74 Natallia Pintusava (MINN) 7-6, 6-3
2. Amy Simidian (PSU) def. Alessandra Ferrazzi (MINN) 6-2, 6-3
3. Alexa Palen (MINN) def. Denisa Zobeideh (PSU) 6-3, 6-7, 6-2
4. Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) def. Carmen Sandor (PSU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Marie Bedard (PSU) def. Yuliana Umanets (MINN) 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10)
6. Doron Muravnik (MINN) def. Maria Prishlyak (PSU) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Alessandra Ferrazzi/Natallia Pintusava (MINN) def. Amy Simidian/Marie Bedard (PSU) 8-5
2. Petra Januskova/Denisa Zobeideh (PSU) def. Doron Muravnik/Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) 8-6
3. Maria Prishlyak/Carmen Sandor (PSU) def. Yuliana Umanets/Alexa Palen (MINN) 8-6
Match Notes:
Minnesota 5-14 (1-6 Big Ten)
Penn State 7-12 (2-5 Big Ten)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,6,1,4,5,3)
