Wolverines Drop Battle of Top 10 at No. 6 Duke

Saturday, February 20

Durham, N.C.

Noon

Michigan

Duke

2/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

Feb. 20, 2010

Site: Durham, N.C. (Ambler Stadium)
Score: #6 Duke 5, #7 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (6-3), Duke (8-1)
Next U-M Match: Wednesday, Feb. 24 -- vs. TCU (Varsity Tennis Center), 6 p.m.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Despite winning the doubles point and one of the first two singles matches, the No. 7-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision at No. 6 Duke on Saturday (Feb. 20) at Ambler Stadium.

The Wolverines jumped out to a quick 1-0 advantage after winning the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3. The junior tandem of Whitney Taney (Edina, Minn./Edina) and Rika Tatsuno (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) moved up to the No. 1 slot for the first time this season and clinched the point for the Maize and Blue with an 8-5 win. The No. 3 pairing of freshman Mimi Nguyen (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan) and sophomore Michelle Sulahian (Valley Glen Calif./Campbell Hall School) opened up doubles play with an 8-5 win over the No. 28 team of Monica Gorny and Jessica Stiles.

Duke evened the score at 1-1 with a win at No. 4 singles, but Nguyen came through with a 6-1, 6-2 win over No. 73 Gorny to put the Wolverines back in the lead. The Blue Devils responded with straight-set wins at No. 2 and No. 6, reclaiming a 3-2 lead.

With only No. 3 and No. 1 singles left on court, senior Tania Mahtani (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) dropped a three-set match at No. 3 to No. 47 Elizabeth Plotkin to clinch the match for Duke. Mahtani won the first set 7-6 before dropping the next two (6-0, 6-1).

The Wolverines return home for two weekday matches next week, first squaring off against No. 23 TCU on Wednesday (Feb. 24) at 6 p.m. U-M will then play its final match at home until April, welcoming No. 5 Baylor to the Varsity Tennis Center on Friday (Feb. 26) at 6 p.m.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- No. 104 Ellah Nze (Duke) d. No. 16 Denise Muresan (U-M), 7-6 (8-5), 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 34 Reka Zsilinszka (Duke) d. Rika Tatsuno (U-M), 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 -- No. 47 Elizabeth Plotkin (Duke) d. Tania Mahtani (U-M), 6-7, 6-0, 6-1
No. 4 -- No. 60 Amanda Granson (Duke) d. Whitney Taney (U-M), 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 -- Mimi Nguyen (U-M) d. No. 73 Monica Gorny (Duke), 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 -- Mary Clayton (Duke) d. Michelle Sulahian (U-M), 7-6, 7-5

Doubles
No. 1 -- Taney/Tatsuno (U-M) d. Nze/Granson (Duke), 8-5
No. 2 -- No. 24 Zsilinszka/Plotkin (Duke) d. Mahtani/Muresan (U-M), 8-0
No. 3 -- Sulahian/Nguyen (U-M) d. No. 28 Gorny/Stiles (Duke), 8-5

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