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Northwestern
No. 12 Carolina Falls To Top-Ranked Northwestern, 5-2
March 1, 2009 | Women's Tennis
March 1, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. --- No. 12 North Carolina took the doubles point from No. 1 Northwestern for the first time all season but the singles depth of the top-ranked Wildcats proved to be the difference as the Tar Heels fell, 5-2, Sunday afternoon at the Combe Tennis Center. Katrina Tsang scored a three-set upset of No. 25 Georgia Rose, but Northwestern took five of six singles matches to secure the victory.
UNC (9-4) got wins at the top two positions to claim a very tight doubles point from the Wildcats (9-1), who had not conceded in doubles in 2009. No. 4 Sophie Grabinski and Sanaz Marand were first off the courts with an 8-4 win over No. 31 Georgia Rose and Lauren Lui. The match was square at three when the Tar Heels managed to break Rose's serve, but NU broke right back to even things at four. From there, however, it was all Carolina as UNC went on to win the next four games to take the match.
After Northwestern evened things up with a win at No. 3, the duo of Tsang and Austin Smith claimed the point for UNC with an 8-6 win over No. 18 Maria Mosolova and Keri Robison at No. 2. The Tar Heel tandem raced out to a quick 4-0 lead and held on with Tsang serving out the match after Northwestern had rallied to 7-6.
The depth of the hosts, who sport five singles players in the top 100 of the ITA poll, proved to be difference, as Northwestern claimed five of six singles matches to secure the victory. No. 99 Nazlie Ghazal was first off with a 6-3, 6-2, win over Jelena Durisic at No. 5, while No. 43 Samantha Murray gave Northwestern its first lead with a 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 93 Sophie Grabinski at No. 3. No. 83 Lauren Lui's win over Austin Smith at No. 4 pushed the Wildcats to the brink of victory, and Mosolova, the nation's No. 1 singles player, dispatched No. 29 Marand in straight sets to claim the win.
Tsang scored her best win of the spring to give UNC its final point, as the Raleigh, N.C., junior topped No. 25 Georgia Rose, 7-6 (5), 1-6, (10-7).
Carolina will return to Atlantic Coast Conference action on March 7 when the Tar Heels travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face Wake Forest at noon.
No. 1 Northwestern 5, No. 12 North Carolina 2
Doubles
1. No. 4 Grabinski/Marand (UNC) def. No. 31 Lui/Rose (NU), 8-4
2. Smith/Tsang (UNC) def. No. 18 Mosolova/Robison (NU), 8-6
3. Chernyakova/Murray (NU) def. Fanjoy/Reichert (UNC), 8-6
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. No. 1 Maria Mosolova (NU) def. No. 29 Sanaz Marand (UNC), 6-3, 6-1
2. Katrina Tsang (UNC) def. No. 25 Georgia Rose (NU), 7-6 (5), 1-6, (10-7)
3. No. 43 Samantha Murray (NU) def. No. 93 Sophie Grabinski (UNC), 6-2, 6-3
4. No. 83 Lauren Lui (NU) def. Austin Smith (UNC), 6-2, 6-3
5. No. 99 Nazlie Ghazal (NU) def. Jelena Durisic (UNC), 6-3, 6-2
6. Keri Robison (NU) def. Laura Reichert (UNC), 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 5, 3, 4, 1, 6, 2
Players Mentioned
