Let the Good Times Roll: Orange Extend Winning Streak

Sunday, January 26

Syracuse, NY

11 AM

Syracuse University

Cornell

Let the Good Times Roll: Orange Extend Winning Streak

1/26/2020 3:20:00 PM | Tennis

Box Score Photo gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse tennis is a perfect 3-0 for the third consecutive season after a 5-2 victory over Cornell Sunday afternoon at Drumlins Country Club. The Orange win featured four two-set sweeps, those victories coming from seniors Guzal Yusupova and Miranda Ramirez and freshmen Zeynep Erman and Kim Hansen. Freshman Polina Kozyreva added Syracuse's final point, winning in a tiebreak.

"This was a great effort from our team," head coach Younes Limam said. "Losing the doubles point was tough but I loved how everyone bounced back for singles and played with energy and enthusiasm."

"I'm seeing a lot of fight and heart and battling out there and couldn't be prouder of them and the whole team," Limam said when asked about the Orange's three freshmen. "They've been having some good practices but you never know how they're going to do until they're in a match situation. They put us on the scoreboard pretty quick and it was good for us to get that momentum going."

How it happened
Syracuse opened the day with doubles play. Kozyreva and Erman faced off against Michelle Deng and Fatima El Ashram at No. 3. The Orange duo forced deuce twice on Cornell early, but were unable to come out on top. After falling behind, 5-1, Kozyreva and Zeynep took the seventh game to cut the deficit to three, but it was too little too late for the pair, Cornell taking the set 6-2.

Ramirez and Yusupova got off to a hot start, taking a 2-1 advantage over Cornell's Megan Polnet and Ashley Huang at No. 2. The two pairs then went back and forth alternating the next six games before the Orange's pair took a 6-4 victory.

The doubles point came down to Hansen/Sofya Treshcheva and Cornell's Valerie Ho/Maria Adiaconiteiat at No. 1. The Orange took a 2-1 lead, but Cornell stormed back and won the next four games to go up 5-2. With their backs against the wall, Hansen and Treshcheva won the next three matches to stay alive. In the end it came down to a 7-6 (7) victory for the Big Red.

'Cuse dominated singles play. No. 4-slotted Hansen got things going with a decisive 6-0, 6-1 victory over Cornell's Fatima El Ashram. Soon after, Yusupova earned a 6-1, 6-2 sweep of her own over Ho at No. 1 to keep momentum going for the Orange and secure a 2-1 lead. Erman grew the lead to two, sweeping Khary Pryce 6-2, 6-0 at the No. 6 court to set up the Orange with a chance to close things out.

With the Orange ahead, 3-1, over Cornell, Ramirez swept Ashley Huang at No. 2, 6-1, 7-5, to clinch the match for Syracuse. With the victory locked up for the Orange, Kozyreva finished off Cornell's Michelle Deng 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) on court five.

With all other matches complete, the teams gathered to watch Sofya Treshcheva and Maria Adiaconitei on court three. Treshcheva dropped the first set 4-6 but took the second set 7-5 before eventually falling 9-11.

Up Next
The Orange welcome Boston University to town Sunday, Feb. 2. Matchplay will begin at 11 a.m. on ACC Network Extra.

Admission to all Syracuse tennis home matches is free. For more information about Drumlins, click here. For complete coverage of Syracuse tennis, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse University Women's Tennis, Twitter (@Cuse_Tennis) and Instagram (@cusetennis).

Syracuse 5, Cornell 2
Singles Competition
1. Guzal Yusupova (SU) def. Valerie Ho (CU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Miranda Ramirez (SU) def. Ashley Huang (CU) 6-1, 7-5
3. Maria Adiaconitei (CU) def. Sofya Treshcheva (SU) 6-4, 5-7, 11-9
4. Kim Hansen (SU) def. Fatima El Ashram (CU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Polina Kozyreva (SU) def. Michelle Deng (CU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
6. Zeynep Erman (SU) def. Khary Pryce (CU) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles Competition
1. Valerie Ho/Maria Adiaconitei (CU) def. Kim Hansen/Sofya Treshcheva (SU) 7-6 (7-0)
2. Miranda Ramirez/Guzal Yusupova (SU) def. Megan Polnet/Ashley Huang (CU) 6-4
3. Michelle Deng/Fatima El Ashram (CU) def. Polina Kozyreva/Zeynep Erman (SU) 6-2

Match Notes:
Cornell 0-4
Syracuse 3-0
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,1,6,2,5,3)