Michigan
Michigan Invitational (Day 1)
Wolverines Open Play at Michigan Invitational
1/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Event: Michigan Invitational (Day 1)
Scoring: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Match: Sunday, Jan. 18 -- host Michigan Invitational - Day 2 (Varsity Tennis Center), 1 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team opened the seventh annual Michigan Invitational on Saturday (Jan. 17) at the Varsity Tennis Center, competing in a series of singles and doubles matches against players from No. 12 Vanderbilt and No. 24 Tennessee. The Wolverines began the day by claiming two of three doubles matches against the Lady Vols, and senior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) spearheaded U-M's singles effort against the Commodores by upsetting No. 21-ranked Jackie Wu in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6(2).
Sugiyama and junior Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS), who are ranked No. 51 nationally in doubles, improved to 5-1 this season by earning an 8-6 victory over Tennessee's Caitlin Whoriskey and Zsofia Zubor. Senior Lindsey Howard(Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) and sophomore Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) posted an 8-5 triumph over Tennessee's Rosalia Alda and Maria Sorbello in their season debut as a doubles team.
Sugiyama's win over Wu was her 89th career singles victory as a Wolverine. She needs six more wins to move into a tie for second place on U-M's career singles wins list.
Sophomore Rika Tatsuno's (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) impressive 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 decision over Vanderbilt's No. 80-ranked Chelsea Preeg moved her overall record to a team-best 7-3. She has won three straight matches dating back to Nov. 9.
The Wolverines return to action at the Michigan Invitational on Sunday (Jan. 18). U-M will face Vanderbilt in doubles beginning at 1 p.m. and will follow with singles play against Duke.
Following are match-by-match results from Day 1 of the Michigan Invitational:
SINGLES
1. #92 Caitlin Whoriskey (Tennessee) d. #56 Reka Zsilinszka (Duke), 7-5, 2-6, 7-5
2. #48 Amanda Granson (Duke) d. Zsofia Zubor (Tennessee), 7-5, 6-3
3. #43 Ellah Nze (Duke) d. Jennifer Meredith (Tennessee), 7-6(6), 6-4
4. Natalie Pluskota (Tennessee) d. Jessi Robinson (Duke), 6-0, 6-2
5. Melissa Mang (Duke) d. #77 Samantha Orlin (Tennessee), 7-6(5), 7-5
1. Chisako Sugiyama (Michigan) d. #21 Jackie Wu (Vanderbilt), 7-5, 7-6(2)
2. #84 Keilly Ulery (Vanderbilt) d. Tania Mahtani (Michigan), 6-3, 6-2
3. Rika Tatsuno (Michigan) d. #80 Chelsea Preeg (Vanderbilt), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
4. Heather Steinbauer (Vanderbilt) d. Whitney Taney (Michigan), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)
5. Hannah Blatt (Vanderbilt) d. Lindsey Howard (Michigan), 7-6(6), 6-1
6. Rosalia Alda (Tennessee) d. Kari Wig (Michigan), 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
7. Maria Sorbello (Tennessee) d. Michelle Sulahian (Michigan), 6-3, 6-1
DOUBLES
1. #20 Amanda Granson/Melissa Mang (Duke) d. Heather Steinbauer/Jackie Wu (Vanderbilt), 9-7
2. Ellah Nze/Jessi Robinson (Duke) d. Hannah Blatt/Keilly Ulery (Vanderbilt), 8-5
3. Catherine Newman/Chelsea Preeg (Vanderbilt) d. Katie Lee/Samantha Orlin (Tennessee), 8-1
1 #51 Tania Mahtani/Chisako Sugiyama (Michigan) d. Caitlin Whoriskey/Zsofia Zubor (Tennessee), 8-6
2. Lindsey Howard/Whitney Taney (Michigan) d. Rosalia Alda/Maria Sorbello (Tennessee), 8-5
3. Jennifer Meredith/Natalie Pluskota (Tennessee) d. Michelle Sulahian/Rika Tatsuno (Michigan), 9-8(4)
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 645-0045
Players Mentioned
