Michigan
Washington
Michigan Blanks Washington in Non-Conference Finale
3/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: Michigan 7, Washington 0
Records: U-M (8-4), Washington (10-7)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, March 29 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 11 a.m. CDT
Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 29-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team claimed its fifth 7-0 sweep in six matches, shutting out No. 35-ranked Washington Thursday afternoon (March 27) at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines (8-4) claimed their third straight doubles sweep and followed with wins on all six singles courts to extend their winning streak to six matches. U-M has been victorious in 35 of its last 36 singles matches in dual-match play.
The freshman duo of Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson HS) and Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) kept their undefeated record at No. 2 doubles intact (4-0), defeating Kelsey Anonsen and Venise Chan by an 8-5 count to give the Maize and Blue the early edge.
Michigan's No. 46-ranked tandem of junior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) and sophomore Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) clinched the team's eighth doubles point of the season with an 8-4 triumph over Joyce Ardies and Tara Simpson at No. 1. Sugiyama and Mahtani have won eight of 12 matches at the top spot this year, including four straight dating back to March 14.
Junior Lindsey Howard(Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) and freshman Rika Tatsuno(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) won for the second straight time, knocking off Aleksandra Malovic and Vanja Radunovic by an 8-5 score at No. 3 to complete the doubles sweep.
Taney continued to steamroll through her competition at No. 2 singles, as she posted a 6-0, 6-0 shutout win over Malovic to put U-M in front 2-0. Taney has not allowed her opponent more than one game in the last 10 sets. She has won six of seven outings at the second position in her first season.
Tatsuno also kept rolling through singles action, extending her winning streak to six matches with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 decision over Radunovic at No. 5. All six of the victories have come in straight sets.
Mahtani, ranked 106th nationally, provided the clincher with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ardies at No. 4. Mahtani has been triumphant in five of her last six matches.
Muresan and Sugiyama both pushed their respective winning streaks to seven matches. Muresan handed Simpson a 6-3, 6-2 defeat to remain perfect at No. 3 (2-0), while Sugiyama posted an impressive 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 30-ranked Chan at No. 1.
Sugiyama, ranked 66th nationally, has won eight of 11 matches at the top spot this season. She has knocked off five nationally ranked opponents in 2007-08.
Howard capped off the overall sweep for Michigan, as she battled back to beat Anonsen in a super-tiebreaker at No. 6, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0(6). Howard holds a team-best 8-3 record against dual-match opposition and has won six straight.
The Wolverines will head to Iowa City, Iowa, to face Iowa on Saturday (March 29). The match is scheduled for an 11 a.m. CDT start at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #66 Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) d. #30 Venise Chan, 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 -- Whitney Taney (U-M) d. Aleksandra Malovic, 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 -- Denise Muresan (U-M) d. Tara Simpson, 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 -- #106 Tania Mahtani (U-M) d. Joyce Ardies, 6-3, 7-5
No. 5 -- Rika Tatsuno (U-M) d. Vanja Radunovic, 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 -- Lindsey Howard (U-M) d. Kelsey Anonsen, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0(6)
Doubles
No. 1 -- #46 Mahtani/Sugiyama (U-M) d. Ardies/Simpson, 8-4
No. 2 -- Muresan/Taney (U-M) d. Anonsen/Chan, 8-5
No. 3 -- Howard/Tatsuno (U-M) d. Malovic/Radunovic, 8-5
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1-3, Singles 2-5-4-3-1-6
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
