Michigan
NCAA Individual Championships
Sugiyama Drops Three-Set Match at NCAA Singles Championship
5/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: College Station, Texas (George P. Mitchell Tennis Center)
Event: NCAA Singles Championship (First Round)
Score: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Match: Season Completed
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Senior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberley Academy) of the No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team dropped a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 decision to No. 13-ranked Megan Falcon of Louisiana State in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Singles Championship on Wednesday evening (May 20) at Texas A&M's George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
After learning that she earned an alternate spot in the 64-player field this morning, 63rd-ranked Sugiyama stepped onto the court and quickly gained an early leg up on Falcon. The two players held serve throughout the first six games of the first set before Sugiyama got into a rhythm and earned back-to-back breaks to wrap up a 6-3 win. Sugiyama surrendered just two points in the final three games of the first set.
Sugiyama had difficulty sustaining the momentum for the remainder of the match, however, and Falcon capitalized by claiming the two remaining sets, 6-0, 6-1, to complete the comeback victory and advance to the second round.
Sugiyama closes out her final season with an overall singles record of 20-17, including a 14-10 dual-match mark at the top two positions. With a record of 104-45 (.698), she finishes her career as Michigan's all-time singles wins leader.
With this year's invitation, Sugiyama became just the third player in the 36-year history of the U-M program to earn a bid to the NCAA Singles Championship twice in a career. She joins Mary Mactaggart (1981-84), who made appearances in 1982 and '84, and Sarah Cyganiak (1994-97), who competed in 1995 and '97.
Sugiyama and junior Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) are waiting to see if they have secured an alternate spot in the 32-team field of the NCAA Doubles Championship, which runs Thursday through Monday (May 21-25). The No. 42-ranked Wolverine tandem is currently listed second on the alternate list.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 645-0045
Players Mentioned
