Michigan
Indiana
Wolverines Get 20th Win, Advance at B1G Tourney
4/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 28, 2017
» Michigan grabbed its 20th win on the season, winning the doubles point and getting singles wins from Kate Fahey, Chiara Lommer and Valeria Patiuk.
» The match was played indoors on three courts, with Michigan sending out No. 1 Fahey, No. 3 Lommer and No. 6 Patiuk to begin singles play. No. 2 Brienne Minor and No. 4 Alex Najarian got on court but did not finish matches, with No. 5 Mira Ruder-Hook not beginning her match.
» With the win, U-M advances to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament and will face Northwestern tomorrow (Saturday, April 29) at 2 p.m. CDT.
Site: Champaign, Ill. (Atkins Tennis Center)
Event: Big Ten Tournament (Quarterfinals)
Score: #10 Michigan 4, Indiana 0
Records: U-M (20-4), IU (14-14)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 29 -- vs. Northwestern - B1G Semifinals (Champaign, Ill.), 2 p.m. CDT
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won the doubles point and the first three singles matches off court to notch its 20th win of the season in a 4-0 victory over Indiana in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday afternoon (April 28) at the Atkins Tennis Center.
Michigan jumped out to a 1-0 lead, courtesy of the doubles point. At No. 2, freshman Chiara Lommer and sophomore Brienne Minor breezed to a 6-0 win to put the Wolverines on the brink of the match's first point.
The Maize and Blue clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win at No. 3 from freshman Valeria Patiuk and junior Mira Ruder-Hook. The Wolverine duo fell in a 2-0 hole but ripped off five straight games for a 5-2 lead. After Indiana answered with a break to get within 5-3, Michigan broke right back to seal the win.
With the match being held indoors, only three singles matches -- No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 -- could begin after the completion of doubles.
U-M got off to a slow start, falling behind a break on all three courts.
Sophomore Kate Fahey quickly righted the ship at No. 1 after falling behind 4-2. Fahey ripped off nine straight games, taking the first set at 6-4 and jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the second. After dropping a game at 5-1, Fahey held on her serve during the ensuing game for a 6-4, 6-1 victory and Michigan's second point.
Lommer followed a similar script, falling behind at 4-2. The freshman won the next three games for a 5-4 lead, before the set was tied at 5-5. She won the final two games of the set, taking the first at 7-5. It was all Lommer in the second as she raced out to a 3-0 lead and dropped just one game in a 7-5, 6-1 win to extend the Wolverine lead to 3-0.
With Fahey and Lommer off court, Minor and junior Alex Najarian joined Patiuk as the Wolverines on court.
Patiuk dropped her first set at No. 6, 6-1 before coming back for a 6-4 win in the second. Tied at 4-4, Patiuk came through with a break and held in the next game to split for a third set. Patiuk took an early break at 3-1 and did not look back in the final frame for a 6-1 win and Michigan's fourth point.
Minor won her first set 7-5, and Najarian was up 5-2 in the first when both matches were abandoned. Ruder-Hook did not get on court in singles action.
Michigan will face Northwestern tomorrow (Saturday, April 29) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament at 2 p.m. CDT.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 25 Kate Fahey (U-M) d. Madison Appel (IU), 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 -- No. 24 Brienne Minor (U-M) vs. Paula Guitierrez (IU), 7-5 abandoned
No. 3 -- Chiara Lommer (U-M) d. Caitlin Bernard (IU), 7-5, 6-1
No. 4 -- Alex Najarian (U-M) vs. Natalie Whalen (IU), 5-2 abandoned
No. 5 -- Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) vs. Pauline Jahren (IU), did not start
No. 6 -- Valeria Patiuk (U-M) vs. Kim Schmider (IU), 1-6, 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 9 Kate Fahey/Alex Najarian (U-M) vs. Madison Appel/Kim Schmider (IU), 4-5 abandoned
No. 2 -- Chiara Lommer/Brienne Minor (U-M) d. Natalie Whalen/Paula Guitierrez (IU), 6-0
No. 3 -- Valeria Patiuk/Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) d. Caitlin Bernard/Pauline Jahren (IU), 6-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-3, Singles 1-3-6
Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre
Players Mentioned
