University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Washington State
Gophers Off to Best Start in Program History
2/12/2022 7:15:00 PM | Tennis
Minnesota defeats Washington State 5-2, improves to 10-0 on the year
Taking to the road for a second time this season, Minnesota defeated Washington State in Salt Lake City. With their 5-2 victory, they improved to 10-0 on the year. This marks the best start in program history, surpassing the 9-0 record achieved in 1997. The Gophers handed the Cougars their second consecutive loss, after they began the year 4-0.
Minnesota took two of three doubles matches, earning wins at the top two spots. Their four singles wins confirmed a 5-2 Gophers victory.
In doubles, Rachel Hanford and Emilee Duong rallied from down 2-3, to beat Michaela Bayerlova and Maxine Murphy 6-4 at the first position. At No. 2, Ekin Ercetin and Dalila Said clinched the point with a 6-4 win of their own. Maria Rizzolo and Lucy Lu fell to Savanna Ly-Nguyen and Elyse Tse 4-6.
In singles play, Minnesota posted wins at the No. 2, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 positions. At No. 3, Maria Rizzolo battled Maxine Murphy, falling in two hard-fought sets, 4-6, 5-7. At No. 2, Emilee Duong earned a convincing straight-set victory. Rachel Hanford fell to Michaela Bayerlova at No. 1, as Bayerlova improved to 8-0 on the year.
With the game knotted at 2 points each, Minnesota showcased their depth, finding victories at positions four through six. Vasia Karvouni continued her strong start to the season, bouncing back to win the match via second and third set victories. Anfisa Danilchenko outlasted Fifa Kumhom winning a 6-3 third set, after each of the first two went to a tiebreak. This marked her eighth win on the year without defeat. Dalila Said rounded out Minnesota's win, defeating Hania Abouelsaad, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
The Gophers started the weekend strong, with an important victory over the Cougars. Washington State earned Top 25 consideration from the ITA, receiving votes in their most recent poll. They fall to 4-2, suffering back to back defeats in as many days.
Next Up:
Minnesota is back in action tomorrow, as they square off against Utah. The hosts defeated Washington State on Friday, 4-3, improving to 8-0 on the year. The Gophers are looking for their first win in Utah, as they lost to the Utes three consecutive times between 2017 and 2019. The matchup of the undefeated teams will take place at 10:00 a.m. (CST). Streaming will be available through Utah Athletics, while live coverage and updates will be available on GopherWTennis Twitter. Recap and Statistics will be posted upon result completion.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,4,2,6,5
Players Mentioned
