Michigan
Ohio State
Wolverines Win Big Ten Tournament Behind Shutout of Ohio State
5/1/2022 5:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex)
Event: Big Ten Tournament Championship
Result: #20 Michigan 4, #10 Ohio State 0
Records: U-M (19-5), NU (20-5)
Next U-M Event: Monday, May 2 -- NCAA Selection Show, 6:30 p.m.
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The No. 20-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team captured its fourth Big Ten Tournament title since 2015, winning the doubles point and the first three singles matches off court in a 4-0 shutout of No. 10-ranked Ohio State on Sunday afternoon (May 1) in the championship match at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex.
The Wolverines grabbed the early lead courtesy of the doubles point behind wins at No. 1 and No. 2.
At the top spot, Jaedan Brown and Julia Fliegner recorded a 6-3 win as the first match completed. After U-M won the first two games, Ohio State answered with three straight to get the match back on serve. U-M held in its next game before breaking Ohio State for a 4-3 lead. Brown went back to serve following the break, using an ace to capture game point and converting on the next for a 5-3 advantage. Fliegner and Brown broke Ohio State yet again in the next game to finish off the 6-3 victory.
Ohio State grabbed a 6-4 win at No. 3 to even the doubles ledger, with Michigan still up a break at No. 2 when attention turned there.
Andrea Cerdan and Kari Miller found themselves in an 0-2 hole to start before ripping off five straight games for a 5-2 lead. Miller went back to serve for the match but Ohio State fought off two match points to stay in the match at 5-3. Following an OSU hold, it was Cerdan's chance to serve it out. The Wolverines converted on their fifth match point off a ripped backhand from Cerdan that fell between the two Buckeyes in a 6-4 win.
The teams split the six first sets, with Michigan winning at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5.
Fliegner quickly put Michigan's second point on the board behind a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 5. She went up a break at 2-1 in the first set and backed it up for a 3-1 lead. That was all the space she needed as she kept that break the rest of the way. It was all Fliegner in the second set as she did not drop a game to put Michigan's second point on the board.
Miller accounted for Michigan's third point with a 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 8-ranked Irina Cantos, Miller's second win over the Buckeye this season. Miller went down a break at 2-1 in the first set but reeled off five straight games to take the set. The second set was quite similar as Miller fell in an 0-2 hole and fought off two break points to avoid an 0-3 deficit. That righted the ship for the Wolverine, as she won the final six games of the second set to extend Michigan's lead to 3-0.
It appeared that Ohio State was about to close the deficit with straight-set wins at No. 3 and No. 4, but Cerdan and Nicole Hammond each rallied from early breaks to force third sets and stay on court.
Brown did the honors for the Maize and Blue with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over No. 37-ranked Isabelle Boulais at No. 2. She won four of the first five games of the first set for the win. In the second, she went up a break at both 4-3 and 6-5 but could not back them up to eventually head to a tiebreaker.
Brown grabbed a 3-1 lead early in the tiebreaker but Boulais won two straight points to tie it at 3-3 at the changeover. Brown seized the momentum once they switched sides, winning the final four points to clinch the match and tournament title for Michigan.
U-M will now await its NCAA Tournament selection, set for tomorrow (Monday, May 2) at 6:30 p.m.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles No. 1 -- No. 19 Kari Miller (U-M) d. No. 8 Irina Cantos (OSU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 92 Jaedan Brown (U-M) d. No. 37 Isabelle Boulais (OSU), 6-3, 7-6 (3)
No. 3 -- Nicole Hammond (U-M) vs. No. 72 Syndi Ratliff (OSU), 3-6, 7-6 (1), unfinished
No. 4 -- Andrea Cerdan (U-M) vs. Kolie Allen (OSU), 4-6, 6-4, 1-1 unfinished
No. 5 -- Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. Lucia Marzal (OSU), 6-3, 6-0
No. 6 -- Luna Dormet (OSU) vs. Gala Mesochoritou (U-M), 6-4, 5-6 unfinished
Doubles No. 1 -- Jaedan Brown/Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. Isabelle Boulais/Kolie Allen (OSU), 6-3
No. 2 -- Kari Miller/Andrea Cerdan (U-M) d. Lucia Marzal/Irina Cantos (OSU), 6-4
No. 3 -- Luna Dormet/Sydni Ratliff (OSU) d. Anca Craciun/Nicole Hammond (U-M), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2; Singles 5-1-2
Players Mentioned
