Michigan
Purdue
Michigan Overpowers Boilermakers on Senior Day
4/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #20 Michigan 5, Purdue 2
Records: U-M (13-5, 7-1 Big Ten), Purdue (6-11, 2-5 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, April 18 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 11 a.m.
Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 20-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team sent seniors Lindsey Howard(Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) and Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) out on a winning note in their final home match with a 5-2 victory over Purdue on Saturday (April 11) at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines(13-5, 7-1 Big Ten)ran away with their fourth doubles sweep of the season and followed with straight-set wins on four of the six singles courts to secure their fifth straight victory over the Boilermakers (6-11, 2-5 Big Ten). U-M finishes theseason with a home record of 9-1.
Michigan gained an early leg up thanks to a pair of 8-2 wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Sophomores Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) and Rika Tatsuno(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) extended their winning streak to six matches with a victory over Remi Martin and Jennifer Rabot at No. 2, while Howard and sophomore Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson HS) improved to 5-2 in Big Ten Conference play with a win over Tatiana Ganzha and Kay Kay Magi at No. 3. The 26th-ranked Wolverine tandem of Sugiyama and junior Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) wrapped up the sweep with an 8-4 decision over Michelle Sammons and Stephanie Wooten at No. 1, marking their team-high seventh straight victory.
Mahtani took little time in giving U-M a 2-0 lead as she needed just 53 minutes to complete a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ganzha,which markedher eighth victory in 11 tries at the No. 4 singles position. Freshman Michelle Sulahian(Valley Glen, Fla./Campbell Hall School) supplied the Wolverines with their third team point as she handily defeated Martin by a score of 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6 to improve to 11-4 in dual-match action. Taney's 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Anna Dushkina at No. 5 proved to be the clincher and marked her 10th dual-match victory of the season.
Sugiyama added to her program-record singles win total, earning a convincing 6-3, 6-4 decision over Wooten at No. 2 for her 102nd career victory. Sugiyama has won four straight and stands at 12-6 in dual-match play at the top two positions.
The Wolverines close out their regular season on the road next weekend, facing Indianaon Saturday (April 18) at 11 a.m. at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington, Ind., and Illinois on Sunday (April 19) at noon CDT at the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign, Ill.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- Michelle Sammons (Purdue) d. #106 Rika Tatsuno, 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 -- #67 Chisako Sugiyama (U-M) d. Stephanie Wooten, 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 -- Jennifer Rabot (Purdue) d. Denise Muresan, 3-6, 7-6(5), 1-0(9)
No. 4 --Tania Mahtani(U-M) d. Tatiana Ganzha, 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 --Whitney Taney(U-M) d. AnnaDushkina, 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 -- Michelle Sulahian (U-M) d. Remi Martin, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- #26 Mahtani/Sugiyama (U-M) d. Sammons/Wooten, 8-4
No. 2 -- Taney/Tatsuno (U-M) d. Martin/Rabot, 8-2
No. 3 -- Lindsey Howard/Muresan (U-M) d. Ganzha/Kay Kay Magi, 8-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-3-1, Singles 4-6-5-2-1-3
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 645-0045
Players Mentioned
