April 18, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Another one-point decision went the wrong way for the Purdue women's tennis team Sunday. The 58th-ranked Boilermakers suffered their second loss of the weekend and second in a row with a 4-3 loss to No. 27 Michigan at the Lafayette Sports Center. The Boilermakers, who have played 10 matches decided by one point this season, in which they've posted a 4-6 record, are now 8-12 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are 14-4 and 5-3 in the league.
Not surprisingly, the match between Purdue and Michigan came down to the wire. The last six regular-season meetings between the two teams have had 4-3 outcomes. The Boilermakers had won six of the last seven in the series until the Wolverines posted their come-from-behind victory in this meeting.
Purdue began well, winning the doubles point behind victories from the teams of junior Shawna Zuccarini and freshman Hala Sufi, and junior Lara Burgarello and freshman Alyssa Rodriguez.
The Boilermakers entered the singles portion of the match needing to win just three of six contests to claim the victory. Rodriguez delivered a 7-5, 6-2 win over Chrissie Nolan at No. 4, and Zuccarini held on for a 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 victory against Leanne Rutherford at No. 5.
The match came down to No. 1 singles. Sufi won the first set against 96th-ranke Michelle DaCosta 6-3, but dropped the second set 6-4. In the third, Sufi built a 5-1 lead before DaCosta battled back to win 7-5, clinching the match for the visiting Wolverines.
Purdue will get back on the court Wednesday, when it plays host to Notre Dame in a 1 p.m. start. The Boilermakers' regular-season finale will take place Sunday, April 25, at Indiana. The Big Ten Championships will be held April 29 to May 2, in Evanston, Ill.
#27 Michigan 4, #58 Purdue 3Singles1. Michelle DaCosta (UM) def. Hala Sufi (PU) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 *2. Elizabeth Exon (UM) def. Gretchen Haynor (PU) 6-1, 6-33. Kavitha Tipirneni (UM) def. Amy Walgenbach (PU) 6-0, 1-6, 6-04. Alyssa Rodriguez (PU) def. Chrissie Nolan (UM) 7-5, 6-25. Shawna Zuccarini (PU) def. Leanne Rutherford (UM) 6-4, 6-7, 6-36. Debra Streifler (UM) def. Melissa Woods (PU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3- P -
Doubles1. DaCosta/Kara Delicata (UM) def. Haynor/Woods (PU) 8-12. Zuccarini/Sufi (PU) def. Kim Plaushines/Streifler (UM) 8-53. Lara Burgarello/Rodriguez (PU) def. Exon/Tipierneni (UM) 8-5
* Denotes clinching match.
Purdue: 8-12 (3-6 Big Ten)Michigan: 14-4 (5-3 Big Ten)