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University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Maryland
Gophers Triumph at No. 53 Maryland
3/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The No. 69-ranked Minnesota women's tennis team finished a sweep of its weekend East Coast trip by dispatching No. 53 Maryland Sunday afternoon, 4-3. The win, which came in the teams' first meeting as members of the Big Ten, was the Gophers' second of the season against a ranked opponent. They are now 13-6 on the year.
Minnesota, which improved to 4-4 on the road and 3-2 in the Big Ten, defeated its former assistant coach, Daria Panova, who spent 2008-12 with the Maroon and Gold. Panova is in her third season with the Terrapins.
Maryland opened the match by winning the doubles competition. After the Terps won at No. 2, Mehvish Safdar and Caroline Ryba leveled doubles with an 8-2 win at No. 3. No. 62-ranked Welma Luus and Ekaterina Tour of UMD sealed the point with a tiebreaker win at the top spot.
Freshmen Safdar and Ryba improved to 9-2 as a duo, including 7-1 in dual-match play.
The Gophers rallied in singles play, winning a match after dropping the doubles point for the second time this season. Jessika Mozia knotted the score with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 3. At No. 5, Julia Courter gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead by taking down Olivia Gaudreault, 6-2, 6-1.
Paula Rincon-Otero continued the Gophers' run with a straight-set win at No. 6 and Ryba sealed the win by defeating Nataliya Bredikhina, 7-5, 6-2, at No. 2. Ryba is now 12-3 in singles play in the spring.
The Terrapins closed the match out with wins at singles position Nos.4 and 1 to make it a 4-3 final.
A winner of eight of its last 10 matches, Minnesota will now return to the Baseline Tennis Center for five-straight matches. The Gophers open their homestand Friday against Iowa.
No. 69 Minnesota 4, No. 53 Maryland 3
University of Maryland Tennis Courts (College Park, Md.)
Singles competition
1. Ekaterina Tour (UMD) def. Tereza Brichacova (MINN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
2. Caroline Ryba (MINN) def. Nataliya Bredikhina (UMD) 7-5, 6-2
3. Jessika Mozia (MINN) def. Welma Luus (UMD) 6-3, 6-3
4. Olga Bredikhina (UMD) def. Aria Lambert (MINN) 6-4, 6-2
5. Julia Courter (MINN) def. Olivia Gaudreault (UMD) 6-2, 6-1
6. Paula Rincon Otero (MINN) def. Cassandre Thebault (UMD) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. No. 62 Welma Luus/Ekaterina Tour (UMD) def. Tereza Brichacova/Paula Rincon Otero (MINN) 8-7
2. Kristina Hovsepyan/Nataliya Bredikhina (UMD) def. Jessika Mozia/Julia Courter (MINN) 8-5
3. Mehvish Safdar/Caroline Ryba (MINN) def. Olga Bredikhina/Olivia Gaudreault (UMD) 8-2
Match Notes
Minnesota 13-6 (3-2 Big Ten)
Maryland 9-9 (2-5 Big Ten)
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,5,6,2,4,1)
Players Mentioned
