Michigan
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Kansas
Wolverines Knock off Kansas in Season Opener
1/21/2018 4:44:00 PM | Women's Tennis
» No. 10 Michigan won the doubles point and got singles wins from Alyvia Jones, Bella Lorenzini, Kate Fahey, Mira Ruder-Hook and Chiara Lommer in the win.
» The No. 2 doubles duo of Jones and Lommer was down, 4-2, before winning five of the next six games to clinch the first point of the match for U-M.
» U-M has won 10 straight season openers under head coach Ronni Bernstein.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: No. 10 Michigan 6, Kansas 1
Records: U-M (1-0), KU (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 27 -- vs. Gonzaga (Varsity Tennis Center), 10 a.m.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won the doubles point and got five singles wins to open the dual-match portion of the season with a 6-1 win over Kansas on Sunday (Jan. 21) at the Varsity Tennis Center.
U-M jumped out to the early 1-0 lead after securing the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2. At the top spot, junior Kate Fahey and senior Alex Najarian cruised to a 6-0 win as the first match off court.
At No. 3, seniors Mira Ruder-Hook and Kara Hall ripped off three straight games to get back within a game, 5-4, after falling behind, 5-1. The duo fought off two match points, but Kansas came through on the deuce point to even the doubles ledger at one match each.
At the same time, U-M's No. 2 pair of sophomore Chiara Lommer and freshman Alyvia Jones was broken on a deuce point to go down, 4-2. The pair recovered, winning five of the next six games to take the match, 7-5, and clinch the first point for the Maize and Blue.
Jones was first off court for Michigan in singles, taking a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 3 for the first dual-match win of her career. Jones broke for a 5-4 lead in the first, serving out the set in the next game. She carried the momentum over into the second set, racing out to a 4-0 lead en route to the two-sets win.
Kansas got a point back moments later, winning in straight sets at No. 4.
Freshman Bella Lorenzini put Michigan's third point on the board with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 6 for her first dual-match win. After taking the first set, Lorenzini jumped out early in the second, going up 4-1 before winning 6-2 on a double fault.
Fahey clinched the match for the Wolverines with a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 1. Just like Jones in the first, Fahey broke at 5-4 and served out the set in the ensuing game. In the second, Fahey was down, 5-4, before winning three straight games to take the match in two. Fahey was down, 40-15, on her serve in the final game, ripping off three straight points for Michigan's fourth point of the afternoon.
Ruder-Hook rallied for a three-sets win at No. 5, grabbing a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory. In the third set, Ruder-Hook and her opponent exchanged breaks throughout the first three games. The Wolverine held a 2-1 lead with a break when Fahey clinched the team match. It was all Ruder-Hook from there as she won the next four games in the three-set win.
Lommer completed the day with a win for Michigan, coming back from a first-set loss for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win. Lommer was in a 2-0 hole to start the second set but roared back, winning the next six games to force a third. She took an early lead in the third and never looked back, giving Michigan its sixth point of the day.
Michigan will be at home again next weekend (Jan. 27-28) at the Varsity Tennis Center when it hosts ITA Kick-Off action involving Brown, Gonzaga and Tulsa. The Wolverines will open play against Gonzaga at 10 a.m. Saturday (Jan. 27).
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 33 Kate Fahey (U-M) d. No 94 Despoina Vogasari (KU), 6-4, 7-5
No. 2 -- No. 74 Chiara Lommer (U-M) d. No. 90 Janet Koch (KU), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 -- Alyvia Jones (U-M) d. No. 112 Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU), 6-4, 6-1
No. 4 -- Maria Toran Ribes (KU) d. Lera Patiuk (U-M), 6-4, 6-1
No. 5 -- Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) d. Tatiana Nikolaeva (KU), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 -- Bella Lorenzini (U-M) d. Amber Policare (KU), 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- Kate Fahey/Alex Najarian (U-M) d. Nina Khmelnitckaia/Tatiana Nikolaeva (KU), 6-0
No. 2 -- Alyvia Jones/Chiara Lommer (U-M) d. Janet Koch/Maria Toran Ribes (KU), 7-5
No. 3 -- Anastasia Rychagova/Despoina Vogasari (KU) d. Mira Ruder-Hook/Kara Hall (U-M), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2, Singles 3-4-6-1-5-2
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
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#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,4,6,1,5,2
Players Mentioned
