Michigan
Illinois
Michigan Scores Comeback Win Over Illinois in B1G Semifinals
4/28/2018 7:12:00 PM | Women's Tennis
» Michigan faced a 3-2 deficit to Illinois, needing to win both matches remaining on court to win. Brienne Minor and Chiara Lommer each won in three sets at No. 3 and No. 2, respectively, to give U-M the win.
» Michigan dropped five first sets before turning the matches at No. 2 and No. 3 for the win.
» The Wolverines advanced to the championship match of the Big Ten Tournament and will face Northwestern tomorrow (Sunday, April 29) at noon CDT.
Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Baseline Tennis Center)
Event: Big Ten Tournament (Semifinals)
Score: #23 Michigan 4, #19 Illinois 3
Records: U-M (16-9), Illinois (21-5)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 29 -- vs. Northwestern - Big Ten Tournament Championship (Minneapolis, Minn.), Noon CDT
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team won the final two matches on court in three sets to complete a 4-3 comeback win over No. 19-ranked Illinois in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday afternoon (April 28) at the Baseline Tennis Center.
With Michigan needing to win the final two matches on court at No. 2 and No. 3, junior Brienne Minor completed a comeback win at No. 3 to ignite the Michigan rally. The third set between Minor and Daniela Pedraza Novak featured three straight breaks before Minor held to keep the break at 5-3. Pedraza Novak went back to serve, and Minor grabbed her first match point on the deuce point but put her overhand in the net. The Wolverine went back to the service line and held at love, putting Michigan's third point on the board.
All attention turned to No. 2 singles, where sophomore Chiara Lommer jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third. Asuka Kawai won three of the next four games to tie the deciding set, 3-3, with Lommer headed back to serve. The lefty jumped out to a 40-0 lead in the game but lost three straight points to face a break point on the deuce point. Lommer won the point when Kawai hit a forehand long, staying on serve at 4-3.
Lommer came through on another deuce point in the next game, going up 5-3 and heading back with the opportunity to serve out the match. She once again raced out to a 40-0 lead before facing a deuce point. Kawai pushed a forehand long, allowing Lommer to grab the 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory to clinch the match.
Michigan won the doubles point behind a 6-2 win at No. 3 from sophomore Lera Patiuk and Lommer. The pair raced out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back in the win.
At No. 2, the pair of senior Mira Ruder-Hook and freshman Alyvia Jones went down a break at 4-3 but broke right back to tie it up, 4-4. The pair held at love in the ensuing game and grabbed a 40-15 lead on Illinois' serve. The Illini fought off two match points but put the ball in the net off a forehand from Jones, giving Michigan the 6-4 win and the doubles point.
Ruder-Hook staked the Wolverines a 2-0 lead behind a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 5 when she broke in the final game.
Michigan dropped five first sets against the Illini and eventually won the pair of three-setters at No. 2 and No. 3 to grab the win.
Illinois won in straight sets at No. 4, No. 6 and No. 1 for the 3-1 lead before Minor and Lommer went to work to erase the deficit.
With the win, Michigan advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship match against Northwestern. The match will be tomorrow (Sunday, April 29) at noon CDT and can be seen live on BTN2Go. The match will appear on the Big Ten Network on Monday (April 30) at 6 p.m. EDT.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 91 Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) d. No. 31 Kate Fahey (U-M), 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 101 Chiara Lommer (U-M) d. Asuka Kawai (ILL), 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
No. 3 -- Brienne Minor (U-M) d. Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
No. 4 -- No. 113 Mia Rabinowitz (ILL) d. Alyvia Jones (U-M), 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 -- Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) d. Sasha Belaya (ILL), 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 -- Emilee Duong (ILL) d. Lera Patiuk (U-M), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- Brienne Minor/Kate Fahey (U-M) vs. Daniela Pedraza Novak/Sasha Belaya (ILL), 5-4 abandoned
No. 2 -- Alyvia Jones/Mira Ruder-Hook (U-M) d. Jaclyn Switkes/Emilee Duong (ILL), 6-4
No. 3 -- Lera Patiuk/Chiara Lommer (U-M) d. Asuka Kawai/Mia Rabinowitz (ILL), 6-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2, Singles 5-4-6-1-3-2
Players Mentioned
