University of Washington
Cal
Cal Downs Huskies In Pac-10 Opener
February 24, 2006 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 24, 2006
SEATTLE - The Husky women's tennis team dropped its Pac-10 opener this afternoon, 7-0 to ninth-ranked California. No. 39 Washington (1-4, 0-1) hung around early, but Cal was too strong in the lower singles lineup and pulled away in most matches.
At No. 1 singles, 80th-ranked senior Dinka Hadzic started slowly against the nation's third-ranked player, Zsuzsanna Fodor. Fodor took the first set quickly, 6-0, before Hadzic dug in. The second set was tied at 5-5, but Fodor eked out the final two games for a 7-5 win. Freshman Victoria Brymer fell to No. 25 Suzi Babos, 6-2, 6-4 at second singles, and sophomore Tara Simpson lost, 6-3, 6-0, at third singles to 82nd-ranked Stephanie Kusano.
Senior Stephanie Svanfeldt controlled her first set with No. 70 Cristina Visico, taking it 6-3, but Visico came back to win the next two sets, 6-2 and 6-2 in the last match on court. At fifth singles, freshman Melinda Wong was even at 4-4 in the first set with Cal's Claire Ilcinkas, but Ilcinkas then ran off eight straight games for a 6-4, 6-0 win that also clinched the match for Cal. The first singles point for Cal came at sixth singles, where Jessica Shu defeated junior Monika Kolbovic, 6-1, 6-2. Kolbovic's right eye was practically swollen shut after being hit in the eye by a ball in doubles play, but the Huskies are already down to only six players so Kolbovic had to give it her best shot.
Cal took the doubles point with wins at second and third doubles. The Huskies were able to salvage the No. 1 doubles match, when Hadzic and Brymer, ranked 29th, took out the No. 39 doubles team of Fodor and Babos. Hadzic and Brymer took a 3-0 lead, then Cal responded with five straight games. The Huskies got back on serve and the match eventually went to a tiebreak at 7-7, which Hadzic and Brymer captured, 7-3.
Tomorrow the Huskies will face No. 1 Stanford which brings a 65-match winning streak into the weekend. The Cardinal are the two-time defending national champions. The Huskies and Cardinal square off at 12 p.m.
Washington Women's Tennis vs. California
2/24/06 - Nordstrom Tennis Center - Seattle, Wash.
No. 9 California 7, No. 39 Washington 0
Doubles
1) (29) Hadzic/Brymer (UW) def. (39) Fodor/Babos (Cal), 8-7 (3)
2) Ravelojaona/Ilcinkas (Cal) def. Simpson/Kolbovic (UW), 8-3
3) Kusano/Visico (Cal) def. Svanfeldt/Wong (UW), 8-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1) (3) Zsuzsanna Fodor (Cal) def. (80) Dinka Hadzic (UW), 6-0, 7-5
2) (25) Suzi Babos (Cal) def. Victoria Brymer (UW), 6-2, 6-4
3) (82) Stephanie Kusano (Cal) def. Tara Simpson (UW), 6-3, 6-0
4) (70) Cristina Visico (Cal) def. Stephanie Svanfeldt (UW), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
5) Claire Ilcinkas (Cal) def. Melinda Wong (UW), 6-4, 6-0
6) Jessica Shu (Cal) def. Monika Kolbovic (UW), 6-1, 6-2
Order of finish: 6, 3, 5, 1, 2, 4
