Michigan
Duke
Singles Wins from Fahey, Minor Not Enough Against Third-Ranked Duke
3/9/2019 3:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis
» Michigan closed the gap to 3-2 with a win from Kate Fahey at No. 1 and was on serve in the third set in the remaining two matches on court but could not get any closer.
» Brienne Minor was Michigan's other singles victor, winning 6-0, 6-2 at No. 4.
» Michigan and Duke squared off at the USTA National Campus, the site of this year's NCAA Championships.
Site: Orlando, Fla. (USTA National Campus)
Result: #3 Duke 5, #22 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (5-3), Duke (10-3)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, March 13 -- vs. Virginia (Varsity Tennis Center), 2 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team closed the gap to 3-2 and was on serve in the third sets of the remaining two matches on court but could not get any closer as No. 3 Duke took a 5-2 win Saturday afternoon (March 9) at the USTA National Campus.
Duke took the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 1. The Blue Devils took control early at No. 2 and never looked back in a 6-1 win. Michigan's No. 1 pair of senior Kate Fahey and junior Giulia Pairone fell in a 3-0 hole before battling back to tie it at 3-3. Duke won the final three games to clinch the match's first point.
Michigan won first sets at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 in singles action.
Senior Brienne Minor was first off court with a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 4 to even the team match at 1-1, but Duke answered with a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 3. Duke took advantage of a late break in the first set, breaking in the final game to take the set.
The Blue Devils extended their lead to 3-1 with a straight-set win at No. 5 before Michigan got to work.
Fahey fought off a set point at 5-4 in the second to tie it at 5. The senior then won the next two games, wrapping up a 6-2, 7-5 victory over No. 18 Maria Mateas to bring Michigan back within a point, 3-2.
At the same time, Pairone and freshman Anca Craciun were on serve in each of their third sets.
Pairone went back to serve at 5-6 and send the match to a third-set breaker, but she fell in a 0-30 hole and could not recover in the game as Duke put the fourth point on the board.
Moments later, Craciun fell down a break at 4-2 in the third as Duke took the final match on court to provide the 5-2 margin.
Michigan returns home for three matches this coming week, first hosting Virginia on Wednesday (March 13) at 2 p.m. at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 4 Kate Fahey (U-M) d. No. 18 Maria Mateas (Duke), 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 -- No. 23 Kelly Chen (Duke) d. No. 89 Giulia Pairone (U-M), 3-6, 6-0, 7-5
No. 3 -- No. 19 Meible Chi (Duke) d. No. 21 Chiara Lommer (U-M), 6-4, 6-0
No. 4 -- No. 29 Brienne Minor (U-M) d. Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke), 6-0, 6-2
No. 5 -- Ellyse Hamline (Duke) d. Alyvia Jones (U-M), 6-4, 6-2
No. 6 -- Margaryta Bilokin (Duke) d. Anca Craciun (U-M), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 -- Kelly Chen/Ellyse Hamlin (Duke) d. Kate Fahey/Giulia Pairone (U-M), 6-3
No. 2 -- Meible Chi/Kaitlyn McCarthy (Duke) d. Alyvia Jones/Brienne Minor (U-M), 6-1
No. 3 -- Bella Lorenzini/Chiara Lommer (U-M) vs. Margaryta Bilokin/Maria Mateas (Duke), 4-3 abandoned
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1, Singles 4-3-5-1-2-6
Players Mentioned
