Michigan
Michigan State
U-M Shuts Out Spartans Again to Advance in B1G Tourney
4/27/2018 7:25:00 PM | Women's Tennis
» Michigan won the doubles point and got singles wins from Chiara Lommer, Kate Fahey and Brienne Minor within six minutes of each other to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
» It was Michigan's second straight shutout of Michigan State, as the two teams faced each other last Saturday (April 21).
» Michigan will face either Nebraska or Illinois in the semifinals tomorrow (Saturday, April 28) at 1:30 p.m. CDT.
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Baseline Tennis Center)
Event: Big Ten Tournament (Quarterfinals)
Score: #23 Michigan 4, Michigan State 0
Records: U-M (15-9), MSU (16-9)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 28 -- vs. Illinois/Nebraska - Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (Minneapolis, Minn.), 1:30 p.m. CDT
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won the doubles point and picked up three singles wins within six minutes of each other to shut out Michigan State, 4-0, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday afternoon (April 27) at Minnesota's Baseline Tennis Center.
There were three straight breaks of serve at both No. 1 and No. 3 before Michigan took control on both courts by holding in the fourth game for a pair of 3-1 leads.
That was all the Maize and Blue needed at No. 1, as juniors Kate Fahey and Brienne Minor breezed to a 6-3 win to give Michigan the early advantage in doubles.
At No. 2, senior Mira Ruder-Hook and freshman Alyvia Jones went up a break at 2-1 early but dropped four of the next five games. Down 5-3, Jones and Ruder-Hook won nine straight points to tie the match at 5. Both teams held serve over the next two games to enter a tiebreaker.
On the other court, MSU stormed back to grab a 5-4 lead to send sophomore Chiara Lommer back to the service line. The two teams held serve the next two games as sophomore Lera Patiuk went back to send the match to a tiebreaker. Michigan grabbed a 40-15 lead, but MSU won the final three points to win the match, 7-5.
As the match at No. 3 ended, the tiebreaker on No. 2 was tied at 3. U-M ripped off the next three points, taking a 6-3 lead. MSU saved one match point but could not save another as the Spartan attempt to return a senior Mira Ruder-Hook volley went long, sealing the doubles point for the Maize and Blue.
U-M took four first sets in singles, grabbing control of the match.
It was all Lommer at No. 2, as the lefty dropped just two total games in a 6-1, 6-1 win for Michigan's second point.
Two minutes later, Fahey put the finishing touches on a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 1. Fahey reeled off seven straight games between her first and second sets, taking a 3-0 lead in the second after winning the first set at 6-2. Fahey kept the break the rest of the way in picking up her fourth straight win.
Another two minutes later, Minor stormed to a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 3 to clinch the match for the Maize and Blue. Minor broke at 3-2 in the first set and held the rest of the way in a 6-4 win. In the second, it was much of the same as the Wolverine broke at the same time but did not give up a game the rest of the way for Michigan's fourth point.
The remaining matches were abandoned, with Ruder-Hook and freshman Bella Lorenzini up big in their second sets after each falling in the first. Freshman Alyvia Jones had a 4-3 advantage in the second with a set in hand. Â
U-M will face the winner of Nebraska and Illinois tomorrow (Saturday, April 28) in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. CDT.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 31 Kate Fahey (U-M) d. Habiba Shaker (MSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 101 Chiara Lommer (U-M) d. Aslina Chua (MSU), 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 -- Brienne Minor (U-M) d. Sara Kuuttila (MSU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 -- Alyvia Jones (U-M) vs. Emily Metcalf (MSU), 6-3, 4-3 abandoned
No. 5 -- Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) vs. Davina Nguyen (MSU), 4-6, 5-2 abandoned
No. 6 -- Bella Lorenzini (U-M) vs. Samantha Memjie (MSU), 4-6, 4-0 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- Brienne Minor/Kate Fahey (U-M) d. Sara Kuuttila/Habiba Shaker (MSU), 6-3
No. 2 -- Alyvia Jones/Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) d. Emily Metcalf /Davina Nguyen (MSU), 7-6 (4)
No. 3 --Â Ava Thielman/Lexi Baylis (MSU) d. Lera Patiuk/Chiara Lommer (U-M), 7-5
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2; Singles 4-1-5
Players Mentioned
