U-M Opens Dual Match Season With Win Over DePaul

Saturday, January 15

Ann Arbor, Mich.

10:00 AM

Michigan

DePaul

1/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 20 University of Michigan women's tennis team opened the 2005 dual match season with a 5-2 victory over DePaul Saturday (Jan. 15) at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines swept the three doubles matches in the morning before taking four of six singles in the afternoon to clinch the team win.

Yaftali was a winner in both singles and doubles in her first Michigan dual match.

Michigan wasted little time in earning a leg up in the match, as junior Nina Yaftali (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) and sophomore Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodridge HS) defeated Bojana Murisic and Brenda Leung, 8-2, at No. 3 doubles. Minutes later, the No. 15-ranked team of senior Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) and sophomore Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary) posted an indentical score of 8-2 over Beastrix Csordas and Gergana Ganeva at No. 1 to clinch the first team point.

Senior Leanne Rutherford (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports School) and junior Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) completed the doubles sweep with an 8-4 triumph over Marina Parashkevova and Petra Rehusova at No. 2. With the win, Rutherford and Streifler move their season record to a team-best 7-3.

Streifler gave the Wolverines a 2-0 lead in the match with a dominating 6-1, 6-0 victory over Murisic at No. 6 singles. Yaftali then brought U-M to within one point of sealing the team victory with an impressive 6-1, 6-3 decision over Leung at No. 5.

DaCosta provided the match-clinching win at No. 1, defeating Csordas 6-2, 6-2 to improve her season record to 6-4. The Wolverines posted a victory in one of three matches remaining on the courts, with Rutherford outlasting Rehusova in three sets, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Michigan (1-0) returns to the Varsity Tennis Center next Saturday (Jan. 22) for an 11 a.m. match against Vanderbilt.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- #44 Michelle DaCosta (U-M) d. Beatrix Csordas, 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 -- Marina Parashkevova (DePaul) d. #95 Elizabeth Exon, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 -- Gergana Ganeva (DePaul) d. Kara Delicata, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3
No. 4 -- Leanne Rutherford (U-M) d. Petra Rehusova, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
No. 5 -- Nina Yaftali (U-M) d. Brenda Leung, 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 -- Debra Streifler (U-M) d. Bojana Murisic, 6-1, 6-0

Doubles
No. 1 -- #15 DaCosta/Delicata (U-M) d. Csordas/Ganeva, 8-2
No. 2 -- Rutherford/Streifler (U-M) d. Parashkevova/Rehusova, 8-4
No. 3 -- Exon/Yaftali (U-M) d. Murisic/Leung, 8-2

Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1-2, Singles 6-5-1-2-4-3

N O T E S

With her win at No. 4, Leanne Rutherford improves her career record to 62-38 and moves into a tie for 15th place with Angie Popek (1993-96) and Kavitha Tipirneni (2001-04) on Michigan's career singles wins chart.

Michigan has an all-time record of 26-6 in season openers and has won 11 straight and 15 of its last 16 after its victory over DePaul.

Michigan holds a perfect 6-0 record in the all-time series against the Blue Demons.

Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423