'Cuse Tennis Defeats Clemson in ACC Match

Friday, March 16

1 PM

Syracuse University

Clemson University

Photo by: MICHAEL OKONIEWSKI

3/16/2018 5:03:00 PM | Tennis

Postmatch Interviews Box Score

Syracuse women's tennis won for the eighth time in the last nine matches to improve its record to 11-2 overall and 3-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 5-2 victory against Clemson at Drumlins Country Club. After losing the doubles point, the 39th-ranked Orange won five straight singles matches to secure the victory over the 44th-ranked Tigers (7-7, 1-4).

Syracuse returns to the court on Sunday, March 18 for a 11 a.m. match against No. 16 Wake Forest at Drumlins. Admission to all Orange tennis matches is free.

"The ladies showed a lot of character and fight after losing the doubles point," said head coach Younes Limam. "They did a great job of playing the big points better than their opponents and staying positive throughout the match."

At No. 1 singles, 11th-ranked Gabriela Knutson remained undefeated in ACC competition with a win against 20th-ranked Marie-Alexandra Leduc, 7-5, 7-5, to secure the match for the Orange. Knutson has a 10-1 overall record (4-0 ACC).

"Everyone put all of their heart and energy today," Knutson said. "I am really proud of everyone for digging down really deep after the loss in doubles. We had to pull it out and give it our all. We let them be too aggressive in the doubles. We know we all need step it up, get our energy right and get our fight on after a doubles performance like that."

In singles, Sofya Golubovskaya scored Syracuse's first point with a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Fernanda Navarro in the third singles match. Golubovskaya improved to 9-2 overall and 3-1 in ACC matches.

Syracuse's Dina Hegab won the sixth singles match, 6-0, 6-0, against Daniela Ruiz to put the Orange ahead, 2-1, in the match. Hegab improved her ACC record to 4-0 and is 8-3 overall.

In the second singles match, Syracuse's Miranda Ramirez beat Tate Schroeder, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, for the victory giving the Orange a 3-1 lead.

Syracuse junior Libi Mesh improved to 8-4 on the season (1-2 ACC) with a victory at No. 5 singles, beating Ally Miller-Kraslinikov 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. At fourth singles, Syracuse's Anna Shkudun lost to Sydney Riley, 10-9, in the final match. Shkudun is now 6-5 overall and 0-3 in ACC play.

The Orange lost the doubles point to the Tigers. The 17th-ranked tandem of Knutson and Ramirez lost to Leduc and Navarro, 6-1, at first doubles, while Syracuse's Golubovskaya and Shkudun lost to Ally Miller-Krasilnikov and Tate Schroeder, 6-2. The third doubles match was suspended due to the Tigers winning the doubles point with Syracuse leading 5-4. Orange teammates Maria Tritou and Hegab were beating Laura Marti and Sydney Riley.

"We will try to get the positive energy into our match on Sunday against Wake Forest," Knutson said. "We need to come into the match as a proud team."