#19 Orange Beats Colorado

Friday, February 15

Syracuse, NY

3 pm

Syracuse University

Colorado

2/15/2019 6:55:00 PM | Tennis

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The 19th-ranked Syracuse women's tennis team beat Colorado, 6-1, on Friday at Drumlins Country Club. Syracuse won the doubles point with a victory by the second doubles tandem of senior Dina Hegab and junior Guzal Yusupova. They beat Colorado's Sara Nayar and Megan Forster, 6-2. Colorado forfeited the third doubles match due to injury to give the Orange the point. Singles victories by Libi Mesh, Miranda Ramirez, Gabriela Knutson and Hegab, in addition to a forfeit at sixth singles, gave the Orange the 6-1 win.

Syracuse returns to action Sunday, February 17 against Harvard at 11 am at Drumlins Country Club. Admission and parking are free of charge.

"I am extremely proud of how the team handled the situation with Colorado having just five players because I have seen situations where teams have won matches with just four players. You only need four points to win a match," said head coach Younes Limam. "I am proud of our concentration and being ready for the battle. I think we set the tone by winning the doubles point, and in singles we got off to a very good start before Colorado fought back. Then we regained our composure and went to work to get the victory."

At fifth singles, Mesh scored a decisive victory, 6-0, 6-2, against Ky Ecton to give the Orange a 3-0 lead in the match. The win improves Mesh's 2019 record to 2-1 and gives her 65 career victories.

Ramirez clinched the victory for the Orange with a second singles win against Monica Malinen in straight sets to put the Orange up 4-0. She won the first set, 6-4, and rallied from a 5-2 deficit to win the second set 7-5, for the victory. Ramirez has won six singles matches in 2019 and has 75 career wins at Syracuse.

At first singles, Knutson, who is ranked 48th nationally, lost her first set, 7-6 (7-3 tiebreaker) before coming back to beat Nayar in the second set, 6-4, and the third set, 6-2. In the second set Knutson trailed 3-1 before winning five of the next six games for the victory. The Czech Republic native has 160 career victories at Syracuse, which ranks third on the Orange all-time wins list. She is one behind Erica O'Neill, who won 161 matches from 1992 through 1995.

Hegab rallied to win her fourth singles match against Tallulah Farrow with a 10-6 pro set score in the third. She won the first set, 6-2, and lost the second set, 7-6 (8-6 tiebreaker). Hegab improved her Syracuse career win total to 102.

Senior Maria Tritou lost in the third singles match to Forster. The native of Rhodes, Greece won the first set, 6-2, but lost the second and third sets, 6-3 and 6-3.

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RESULTS
Doubles
1. Gabriela Knutson/Miranda Ramirez (SU) vs. Monica Malinen/Tallulah Farrow (UC) 4-5 unfinished
2. Dina Hegab/Guzal Yusupova (SU) def. Sara Nayar/Megan Forster (UC) 6-2
3. Maria Tritou/Libi Mesh (SU) win by forfeit

Singles
1. No. 48 Gabriela Knutson (SU) def. Sara Nayar (UC) 6-7 (7-3), 6-4, 6-2
2. No. 67 Miranda Ramirez (SU) def. Monica Malinen (CU) 6-4, 7-5
3. Megan Forster (UC) def. Maria Tritou (SU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
4. Dina Hegab (SU) def. Tallulah Farrow (UC) 6-4, 6-7 (6), 10-6 (pro set)
5. Libi Mesh (SU) def. Ky Ecton (UC) 6-0, 6-2
6. Syracuse wins by forfeit

Order of finish
Doubles: 2
Singles: 5, 2, 3, 1, 4