Michigan
Northwestern
Michigan Advances to B1G Championship Match
4/27/2019 2:21:00 PM | Women's Tennis
» Michigan advanced to its 15th straight Big Ten Tournament championship match, winning the doubles point and three of the first four singles matches off court in a 4-1 win over Northwestern.
» The Wolverines got singles wins from Kate Fahey, Chiara Lommer and Brienne Minor.
» Michigan will face either Illinois or Wisconsin in the championship match.
Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Dillon Tennis Center)
Result: #17 Michigan 4, Northwestern 1
Records: U-M (17-5), Northwestern (15-10)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 28 -- vs. Illinois (Lincoln, Neb.), noon CDT
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Senior Brienne Minor provided the deciding point behind a three-set win at No. 3 as the No. 17-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team defeated Northwestern, 4-1, in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday afternoon (April 27) at the Dillon Tennis Center.
Michigan has advanced to the championship match of the Big Ten Tournament for the 15th straight season and will face Illinois on Sunday (April 28) at noon CDT.
Northwestern struck first on the doubles court, winning 6-2 at No. 2.
Michigan answered back with a 6-4 win at No. 1 from Minor and Kate Fahey. The Wolverines were up a break at 4-2, but the Wildcats won two straight games to get back on serve at 4-4. That was short lived as Michigan broke Northwestern in the ensuing game, followed by Fahey serving it out for a 6-4 victory.
U-M's No. 3 pair of sophomore Alyvia Jones and junior Lera Patiuk were broken at 4-3 after having two game points. The Wolverines wasted no time getting the break back, winning the next game to keep the match on serve at 4-4. Michigan held on the serve of Jones, sending Northwestern back to the line to serve at 4-5. U-M had two match points, making good on the second to wrap up a 6-4 win for the doubles point.
Fahey extended Michigan's lead to 2-0 behind a 6-3, 6-0 win over No. 40-ranked Clarissa Hand at the top spot. Fahey stayed patient in the first set, taking advantage of a late break in the 6-3 win. It was all Fahey in the second as she wrapped up her 17th straight win at the No. 1 position.
Junior Chiara Lommer came through with a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 4 to account for Michigan's third point of the match. Lommer won the final eight games of the match, holding her serve and breaking at love in the final two games in the first set to kick off the stretch. Much like Fahey, Lommer controlled the entire second set in the win.
Northwestern got on the board with a straight-sets win at No. 6.
With Michigan needing just one more point for the team win, the remaining three matches entered third sets.
Minor put Michigan's clinching point up, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at No. 4. After splitting the first two sets, Minor fell in a 2-0 hole in the third. She won two straight to get back on serve. Both players held over the next five games as Northwestern's Lee Or went back to serve at 4-5. Minor grabbed a 30-15 lead but Or won two straight points for a 40-30 advantage.
Minor won that point, setting up a match point on deuce point. Minor needed just one match point, coming through on the deuce point to seal Michigan's semifinal win.
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 3 Kate Fahey (U-M) d. No. 40 Clarissa Hand (NU), 6-3, 6-0
No. 2 -- No. 82 Giulia Pairone (U-M) vs. Julie Byrne (NU), 7-5, 3-6, 0-2 abandoned
No. 3 -- No. 49 Brienne Minor (U-M) d. Lee Or (NU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
No. 4 -- No. 48 Chiara Lommer (U-M) d. Rheeya Doshi (NU), 6-4, 6-0
No. 5 -- Alyvia Jones (U-M) vs. Caroline Pozo (NU), 4-6, 6-1, 0-1 abandoned
No. 6 -- Hannah McColgan (NU) d. Anca Craciun (U-M), 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 32 Kate Fahey/Brienne Minor (U-M) d. No. 62 Clarissa Hand/Lee Or (NU), 6-4
No. 2 -- Julie Byrne/Hannah McColgan (NU) d. Giulia Pairone/Anca Craciun (U-M), 6-2
No. 3 -- Alyvia Jones/Lera Patiuk (U-M) d. Rheeya Doshi/Inci Ogut (NU), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1-3, Singles 1-4-6-3
Players Mentioned
