March 7, 2004

The 17th-ranked Illinois women's tennis team squandered a golden opportunity to move up in the rankings and get off to a solid start in Big Ten play when they fell, 4-3, at 57th-ranked Purdue this afternoon. The Illini were hoping to win their second match in four days in the state of Indiana after defeating Notre Dame in South Bend on Thursday.

Seventh-ranked Jennifer McGaffigan and Cynthya Goulet won an 8-6 decision at No. 1 doubles over the Boilermakers' Gretchen Haynor and Melissa Woods, but the hosts took the doubles point on the strength of victories at the No. 2 and 3 spots. Tiffany Eklov and Isabel Jarosz had won eight of their last nine doubles matches, but had their four-match winning streak snapped when they fell to Purdue's Shawna Zuccarini and Hala Sufi, 8-2, in the No. 2 match Brianna Knue and Emily Wang came up on the short end of an 8-5 score at No. 3 against Lara Burgarello and Alyssa Rodriguez.

"We came out very flat in doubles and played very uninspired tennis," said Head Coach Sujay Lama. "We had opportunities to close out matches and we didn't get it done."

Illini efforts were better during singles, according to the coach, but the results weren't enough better. McGaffigan, ranked No. 14, disposed of Haynor, 6-3, 6-1, and Eklov, won her 10th singles encounter in her last 11 outings, improving her spring record to 8-1 by defeating Amy Walgenbach, 6-2, 6-2. Goulet won her No. 4 match, 6-2, 6-4, over Alyssa Rodriguez.

Wang, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, lost her match at No. 6 by the score of 6-2, 6-4, to Woods, while the No. 3 and 5 matches went three sets. Sufi dropped Jarosz, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the No. 3 match, and Knue fell to Zuccarini at No. 5, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.

"We battled hard in singles," said Lama," and we had a number of opportunities. Brianna and Isabel were ahead early, but they let their opponents hang in there and failed to finish them off.

"We need to come prepared to play every match," Lama continued. "Conference matches are different; they're more intense. One of our goals this season is to be more consistent. We're just not there yet."

With the setback, Illinois' season record falls to 6-3; the team is 0-1 in Big Ten competition. Purdue moves to 4-6 and 1-0. The Illini now trail in the all-time series with the Boilermakers, 18-25.

"I thought we had moved over the hump with the win at Notre Dame Thursday," said Lama. "This is definitely a setback, but hopefully our players can learn from the loss and react well to adversity."

The Fighting Illini return to action Saturday, March 13, with a double-header at the UI Atkins Tennis Center. They will take on Illinois-Chicago at 11 a.m. and host DePaul at 4 p.m. Illinois will play at South Florida on March 24 during their spring break trip before returning home to resume Big Ten competition the following week.

SUNDAY'S RESULTS
at No. 57 Purdue 4, No. 17 Illinois 3

Singles
1. #14 Jennifer McGaffigan (ILL) def. Gretchen Haynor (PUR)    6-3, 6-1
2. Tiffany Eklov (ILL) def. Amy Walgenbach (PUR)               6-2, 6-2
3. Hala Sufi (PUR) def. Isabel Jarosz (ILL)                    2-6, 6-4, 7-5
4. Cynthia Goulet (ILL) def. Alyssa Rodriguez (PUR)            6-2, 6-4
5. Shawna Zuccarini (PUR) def. Brianna Knue (ILL)              2-6, 7-5, 6-4
6. Melissa Woods (PUR) def. Emily Wang (ILL)                   6-2, 6-4

Doubles 1. #7 Jennifer McGaffigan/Isabel Goulet (ILL) def. Gretchen Haynor/Melissa Woods (PUR) 8-6 2. Shawna Zuccarini/Hala Sufi (PUR) def. Tiffany Eklov/Isabel Jarosz (ILL) 8-3 3. Lara Burgarello/Alyssa Rodriguez (PUR) def. Brianna Knue/Emily Wang (ILL) 8-5