March 8, 2009
Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 51 Illinois women's tennis team won its eighth match in a row this afternoon, defeating the Purdue Boilermakers, 4-3, at the Schwartz Tennis Center in West Lafayette, Ind. The win also marks the Illini's second conference victory on the season. The Orange and Blue are now 10-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
"Overall, we had an outstanding weekend, winning both of our matches against two very good Big Ten teams," head coach Michelle Dasso said. "Today against the Boilermakers, the doubles point was huge. After we fell at No. 1 doubles, that put pressure on the girls at Nos. 2 and 3 and they responded clinching the crucial point for us. In singles, it was an all out battle on all of the courts. All of the girls fought hard and stayed composed in their matches. This weekend it was definitely a team effort and I couldn't ask for a better way to start the Big Ten season."
In doubles, the Illini tandem of junior Megan Fudge and sophomore Marisa Lambropoulos fell to Purdue's Stephanie Wooten and Michelle Sammons at No. 1 doubles. However, the Illini quickly rebounded as the sensational duo of sophomore Annie McCarthy and freshman Amy Allin improved their dual match record to 8-1 with a solid 8-4 win over the Boilermakers' Tatiana Ganzha and Anna Dushkina at No. 3 doubles. With the doubles point in reach, the Illini duo of redshirt-sophomore Leigh Finnegan and freshman Chelcie Abajian provided the clinching win at No. 2 doubles with an 8-5 win over Purdue's Jennifer Rabot and Remi Martin.
With a 1-0 lead heading into singles, the Illini prepared to battle on every court. Purdue took wins at Nos. 6 and 4 singles to regain the lead, but the Illini countered as freshman Amy Allin took a dominating straight sets victory at No. 5 singles over Purdue's Remi Martin, 6-4, 6-2.
The Illini continued their winning ways as No.86-ranked Leigh Finnegan started off her match at No. 1 singles on the right foot, winning a huge tiebreaker in the first set 7-6 (3) over Michelle Sammons (PUR). Finnegan cruised through the second set, 6-4, for the victory. While at No. 3 singles, sophomore Marisa Lambropoulos battled back and forth with Purdue's Tatiana Ganzha. Lambropoulos took the first set 6-4, before dropping the second set, 0-6. In the deciding third set, Lambropoulos downed Ganzha (PUR) 6-3 to clinch the win for Illinois.
At No. 2 singles, junior Megan Fudge gave it all she had, but came up short against Stephanie Wooten of Purdue, 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8).
Up next, the Illini hit the road next weekend as they travel to face Northwestern Wildcats on March 13 at 5 p.m. CT. The Orange and Blue continue the conference road swing as they head to Wisconsin for a match-up with the Badgers on March 15 at 11 a.m. CT.
Match Results
University of Illinois vs. Purdue
3/8/2009 at West Lafayette, Ind.
(Schwartz Tennis Center)
#51 University of Illinois 4, Purdue 3
Singles competition
1. #86 Leigh Finnegan (ILL) def. Michelle Sammons (PUR) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
2. Stephanie Wooten (PUR) def. Megan Fudge (ILL) 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8)
3. Marisa Lambropoulos (ILL) def. Tatiana Ganzha (PUR) 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
4. Jennifer Rabot (PUR) def. Chelcie Abajian (ILL) 6-2, 7-5
5. Amy Allin (ILL) def. Remi Martin (PUR) 6-4, 6-2
6. Anna Dushkina (PUR) def. Kristina Minor (ILL) 6-0, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Stephanie Wooten/Michelle Sammons (PUR) def. Megan Fudge/Marisa Lambropoulos (ILL) 8-0
2. Chelcie Abajian/Leigh Finnegan (ILL) def. Jennifer Rabot/Remi Martin (PUR) 8-5
3. Annie McCarthy/Amy Allin (ILL) def. Tatiana Ganzha/Anna Dushkina (PUR) 8-4
Match Notes:
University of Illinois 10-2, 2-0; National ranking #51
Purdue 5-4,1-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,4,5,1,3,2)
