University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Tulane
Gophers Win Final Three Matches, Beat Tulane 4-3
3/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Right now, it does not seem to matter where the Minnesota women's tennis team plays. The No. 34 Gophers improved to 10-1 on the year and 4-0 on the road when they rallied to beat No. 52 Tulane 4-3 this afternoon at Goldring Tennis Center.
Minnesota has now won seven straight matches and is 6-1 against ranked opponents. The Gophers face No. 50 LSU on Saturday to complete their Spring Break trip.
For the first time the season, the Gophers won the doubles point on the road. Tulane won the first doubles match of the day, prevailing 8-2 at the second position. However, Minnesota would rally at the third and first spots to win the doubles point.
Doron Muravnik and Tereza Brichacova won Minnesota's first doubles match 8-3 at No. 3 against Lindsay Dvorak and Hila Elster. Magdalena Wiecha and Natallia Pintusava then put Minnesota up 1-0 with an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles against Mariam Kurdadze and Emma Levy.
Wiecha, who missed the beginning of the fall season with an injury, and Pintusava improved to 5-0 in the spring season in doubles.
Tulane jumped out to 3-1 lead in the match with quick wins at third, fourth and sixth singles and needed to win just one more match to upset the Gophers.
However, Alexa Palen, Muravnik and Pintusava would not allow that to happen. Muravnik won 6-4, 6-3 to pull Minnesota to within one.
Palen then squared the match 3-3 when she beat Emma Levy 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 at the second position. Palen, who has also played No. 1 and No. 3 singles for Minnesota this year, improved to a perfect 10-0 in singles.
Minnesota completed its road comeback when Pintusava dispatched Kurdadze 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 at No. 1 singles. Pintusava has now won five straight matches and is 7-2 in the spring season.
After facing LSU on Saturday to complete its non-conference schedule, Minnesota will play one more weekend on the road before returning home to play No. 13 Northwestern on Mar. 30.
Minnesota will play Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. next Saturday before traveling to No. 18 Michigan to complete a stretch of five consecutive matches away from home the following day.
Tennis Match Results
Minnesota vs Tulane Green Wave
3/15/2012 at New Orleans, La.
(Goldring Tennis Center)
#34 Minnesota 4, #52 Tulane Green Wave 3
Singles competition
1. Natallia Pintusava (MINN) def. Mariam Kurdadze (TLN) 6-0, 3-6, 6-4
2. #116 Alexa Palen (MINN) def. Emma Levy (TLN) 6-4, 2-6, 6-0
3. Caroline Thornton (TLN) def. Julia Courter (MINN) 6-0, 6-0
4. Caroline Magnusson (TLN) def. Tereza Brichacova (MINN) 6-4, 6-1
5. Doron Muravnik (MINN) def. Jenny Hois (TLN) 6-4, 6-3
6. Lindsay Dvorak (TLN) def. Magdalena Wiecha (MINN) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Magdalena Wiecha / Natallia Pintusava (MINN) def. Mariam Kurdadze/Emma Levy (TLN) 8-5
2. Caroline Thornton/Caroline Magnusson (TLN) def. Alexa Palen / Julia Courter (MINN) 8-2
3. Doron Muravnik / Tereza Brichacova (MINN) def. Lindsay Dvorak/Hila Elster (TLN) 8-3
Match Notes:
Minnesota 10-1; National ranking #34
Tulane Green Wave 12-4; National ranking #52
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,4,6,5,2,1)
Players Mentioned
