Syracuse University
Cornell University
Orange Overpowers Big Red, Extends Home Streak to 20
3/11/2011 12:41:31 AM | Tennis
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse tennis team won its 20th consecutive match at home after overpowering Cornell, 5-2, in a hard-fought match Thursday night at the Drumlins Tennis Center. After losing the doubles point to start the match, the Orange (10-2, 4-0) won five-of-six singles matches to top the Big Red (6-3, 0-0) and remain undefeated at home this season.
Junior co-captain Emily Harman and freshman Maddie Kobelt remained dominant at the No. 1 doubles spot, winning their ninth doubles match together after defeating Cornell's pairing of sisters Kelly and Shannon Comolli in an 8-5 decision. Senior co-captain Simone Kalhorn and junior Alessondra Parra kept it close at the No. 2 doubles position but eventually lost, 7-9, to the Big Red duo of Christine Ordway and Ryann Young. Cornell was able to clinch the doubles point with its No. 3 doubles pair of Sinziana Chis and Ruxandra Dumitrescu defeating Syracuse's duo of freshmen Aleah Marrow and Eva Raszkiewicz.
Singles play also featured several close matches, with four extending to three sets. Harman and Kobelt were able to defeat their Cornell opponents at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, each with set scores of 7-5 and 6-4.
Parra, playing at the No. 3 singles spot, lost the first set to Cornell's Chis but rebounded and won the second, 6-2, and won a 7-5 tiebreaker to take the third set, 7-6.
Senior co-captain Christina Tan also lost her first set at the No. 4 singles position, but came back to beat Cornell's Kelly Comolli, 6-3 and 7-5 in the remaining sets to win the point.
Marrow won her third singles match in a row by defeating Sarah O'Neill in a three-set match at the No. 6 singles position. After winning the first set, 6-2, Marrow lost the tiebreaker in the 6-7 second set but pulled out the win with a 6-3 third and final set.
The Orange's only singles loss came at the No. 5 singles spot, where Cornell's Dumitrescu bested Kalhorn in yet another three-set match. Kalhorn swept Dumitrescu, 6-0, in the first set but lost, 3-6, in the second and eventually lost the point after a 5-7 tiebreaking loss that decided the third set, 7-6, for Dumitrescu.
With the victory against Cornell, Syracuse moves to 10-2 on the season and 8-0 on its home court. The Orange hasn't lost at home since a 4-3 loss to Iowa State on February 22, 2009.
The home streak is safe at least for the remainder of March, as the Orange squad prepares to embark on an eight-match road tour. The team travels to California next week to take on USC and San Diego State on March 15 and 16, respectively, before returning to the East Coast to take on Army at West Point on March 25.
Results
Singles competition
1. Emily Harman (SYRACUSE) def. Christine Ordway (CORNELL) 7-5, 6-4
2. Maddie Kobelt (SYRACUSE) def. Ryann Young (CORNELL) 7-5, 6-4
3. Alessondra Parra (SYRACUSE) def. Sinziana Chis (CORNELL) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
4. Christina Tan (SYRACUSE) def. Kelly Comolli (CORNELL) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Ruxandra Dumitrescu (CORNELL) def. Simone Kalhorn (SYRACUSE) 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)
6. Aleah Marrow (SYRACUSE) def. Sarah O'Neil (CORNELL) 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Emily Harman/Maddie Kobelt (SYRACUSE) def. Kelly Camolli/Shannon Comolli (CORNELL) 8-5
2. Christine Ordway/Ryann (CORNELL) Young def. Simone Kalhorn/Alessondra Parra (SYRACUSE) 9-7
3. Sinziana Chis/Ruxandra Dumitrescu (CORNELL) def. Aleah Marrow/Eva Raszkiewicz (SYRACUSE) 8-5
Final: Syracuse 5, Cornell 2
