March 13, 2009
The 75th-ranked Purdue women's tennis team was defeated 4-3 by the 43rd-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes Friday inside the Varsity Tennis Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Purdue (5-6, 1-2) dropped the doubles point for just the fourth time this season. Paloma Escobedo and Kirsten Flower gave the Buckeyes an early advantage by defeating Anna Dushkina and Tatiana Ganzha 8-1 at the No. 3 position. The point was clinched at No. 2, where Julie Blackmore and Cami Hubbs defeated Purdue's freshman duo of Jennifer Rabot and Remi Martin 8-4. Ohio State (8-6, 2-0) completed the sweep when Angela DiPastina and Christina Keesey beat Stephanie Wooten and Michelle Sammons 8-5.
Ohio State clinched the match by claiming the first three singles matches. At No. 6, Blackmore ended Dushkina's three-match winning streak with a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Flower beat Sammons 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 1 position to extend the Buckeyes' lead, and the match was decided when Keesey defeated Martin 7-5, 6-1 at No. 5.
The Boilermakers continued to fight, however, and claimed victory in the final three singles matches. Senior co-captain Wooten put Purdue on the board and extended her season-long winning streak to four with her 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 win over Escobedo at No. 2. Rabot won her team-high ninth singles match and improved to 9-2 this season by defeating DiPastina 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 4. Junior co-captain Ganzha brought the match to its conclusion by beating Hubbs 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 at No. 3.
Purdue now turns its attention to a spring break trip west. The Boilermakers travel to Tempe, Ariz., to take on 14th-ranked Arizona State, head coach Laura Glitz's alma matter, Tuesday before moving farther west for a Thursday match at No. 28 San Diego State.