University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Drop Iowa, Advance To Second Round
4/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
For the second time in five days the University of Minnesota women's tennis team defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Gophers downed Iowa 6-1 on Senior Day last Sunday and then ended the Hawkeyes season with a come-from-behind 4-2 win in the first round of the Big Ten tournament this morning.
Minnesota advances to face tournament host and top seed Michigan Wolverines in the second round at 9 a.m. tomorrow at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan defeated Minnesota 7-0 on April 2 at Baseline Tennis Center.
The Gophers lost the doubles point against Iowa, but rallied in singles to extend their season. It was only the third time all year that Minnesota lost the doubles point, but won the match (Michigan State and Illinois were the other matches).
"We wanted to prolong our season and earn a shot against the No. 1 seed," said coach Tyler Thomson. "Despite losing a lead in doubles the team was not going to be denied in singles. Everyone is excited for this great opportunity tomorrow."
Iowa claimed a 1-0 lead when it won matches at No. 1 (8-5) and No. 2 (9-7) doubles. Minnesota's duo of Peta Forsyth and Magdalena Wiecha won 8-5 at the third position against Lynne Pogensee-Wei and Ally Majercik.
Senior Alessandra Ferrazzi tied the match at 1-1 with a sound victory against Pogensee-Wei at No. 3 singles. Ferrazzi, who earned All-Big Ten honors last season, won 6-2, 6-0. Iowa took a 2-1 lead after 103rd-ranked Sonja Molnar beat No. 83 Natallia Pintusava, who missed last Sunday's match with an injury, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.
Alexa Palen and Yuliana Umanets regained the lead for the Gophers when they triumphed at No. 2 and No. 6 singles, respectively. Palen, who lost to Molnar at No. 1 last Sunday, avenged her Iowa defeat with a 6-0, 6-2 win against Jessica Young at the second position. Umanets, who played No. 6 for the first time this season, beat Cassandra Escobar 6-0, 6-4. Umanets has now played matches this year at second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth singles
Doron Muravnik put the Gophers in the second round with a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Tina Harazin. Muravnik has now won a team-high five straight matches.
The one match that went unfinished was at No. 4 singles and was between Wiecha and Alexis Dorr. Wiecha lost the first set 2-6, but won the second set 6-3 and was up 2-1 in the third when the Gophers clinched the win.
April 28, 2011
• Big Ten tournament (first round)
Varsity Tennis Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Minnesota 4, Iowa 2
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 103 Sonja Molnar (Iowa) d. No. 83 Natallia Pintusava (Minn), 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 -- Alexa Palen (Minn) d. Jessica Young (Iowa), 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 -- Alessadra Ferrazzi (Minn) d. Lynne Pogensee-Wei (Iowa), 6-2, 6-0
No. 4 -- Magdalena Wiecha (Minn) vs. Alexis Dorr (Iowa), 2-6, 6-3, 2-1, abandoned
No. 5 -- Doron Muravnik (Minn) d. Tina Harazin (Iowa), 6-4, 7-5
No. 6 -- Yuliana Umanets (Minn) d. Cassandra Escobar (Iowa), 6-0, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 29 Sonja Molnar/Jessica Young (Iowa) d. Alessandra Ferrazzi/Natallia Pintusava (Minn), 8-5
No. 2 -- Alexis Dorr/Tina Harazin (Iowa) d. Alexa Palen/Mariana Spilca (Minn), 9-7
No. 3 -- Peta Forsyth/Magdalena Wiecha (Minn) d. Lynne Pogensee-Wei/Ally Majercik (Iowa), 8-5
Order of Completion: Singles 3-1-2-6-5 ; Doubles 3-1-2
Notes
No. 8 seed Minnesota (8-15, 3-7 Big Ten) d. No. 9 seed Iowa (6-16, 3-7 Big Ten), 4-2
Players Mentioned
