April 17, 2011
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Big Ten's No. 3 Purdue women's tennis faced the 15th-ranked Northwestern Wildcats (16-6, 8-0) in the Boilermakers' (11-7, 5-3) final conference road match on Sunday.
Coming off a 5-2 narrow defeat by the Wildcats during the 2010 season, Purdue once again challenged on of the toughest Big Ten foes. The match ended in a 6-1 final score, but was in no way indicative of the bitterly close matches contested.
Once again junior Jennifer Rabot comes home with a big match. Last season, she took down Samantha Murray who was the then-31st ranked player in the nation 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-4 at the No. 2 single spot.
This year, Rabot moved up to the top single slot and her success against Northwestern moved with her squashing No. 13 Maria Mosolova and accomplishing the biggest upset in not only Rabot's career but most program history. In the past 5 years, no Boilermaker has defeated a top-15 singles player (ITA). Mosolova stood at No. 13 when the Boilermakers and Wildcats met last year. Rabot also undid Mosolova's perfect 17-0 season.
Rabot leapt out to an early 3-0 lead in the first set, only dropping one game and closing 6-1. In the second frame, a 2-2 tie was struck, but Rabot surged ahead 4-2 and again at 5-3 for a 6-1, 6-3 which evened out the point total after doubles 1-1.
Sophomore Imogen Golder also claimed a win in 2010's battle, 6-3, 6-1 over Elena Chernyakova at No. 5 singles. Golder was close to a repeat with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) loss to Stacy Lee again in the fifth spot.
The two Purdue players with the closest singles bouts and the final two to be decided were Mara Schmidt at No. 3 and Gisella Pere at No. 6.
Schmidt saw No. 77 Brittany Wowchuk on the third court. Attempting to win her fifth match in a row, the Boilermaker gained a 5-2 lead in the first, but slipped allowing Wowchuk to pull even and force the tiebreaker. Schmidt grabbed the first set 7-6, (7-2), but Wowchuk had momentum taking the second set 6-3 and the deciding tiebreaker 10-7 for the win.
Sophomore Gisella Pere met Nida Hamilton and, like her freshman teammate, grabbed her first set 7-6 (7-5). Hamilton hit back in the set No. 2 with her own 7-6 (7-4) set. Pere was just five points away from beating the Wildcat in the third set tiebreaker 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), (10-5).
In doubles, the Intercollegiate Tennis Associaton's No. 35 team Rabot and Schmidt fought top Wildcat team, Linda Abu Mushrefova and Chernyakova to a 4-all score at No. 1. The Northwestern team had the advantage from there taking the match 8-4.
"I thought overall we competed hard today and showed we are very close to being able to beat a team of this caliber," said head coach Laura Glitz. "Jenny certainly stepped up and played a great match against one of the best players in the country. Hopefully this match will help us next weekend against Penn State and Ohio State."
Celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Day and Senior Day, Purdue returns home for its final regular season matches of the year. Penn State comes to the Schwartz Tennis Center on Saturday for a noon ET dual-match while Ohio State arrives on Sunday also at noon ET.
There is no admission to the Schwartz Tennis Center. Free pizza will be offered to all Purdue women's tennis fans. For live scoring, please visit purduesports.com.
No. 59 Purdue vs. No. 15 Northwestern - Agate
Apr. 17, 2011
Evanston, Ill. - Combe Tennis Center
Northwestern (16-6, 8-0) 6, Purdue (11-7, 5-3) 1
Doubles
1. Linda Abu Mushrefova/Elena Chernyakova (NU) def. No. 35 Jennifer Rabot/Mara Schmidt (PU) 8-4
2. Maria Mosolova/Belinda Niu (NU) def. Gisella Pere/Anna Dushkina (PU) 8-3
3. Brittany Wowchuk/Nida Hamilton (NU) def. Imogen Golder/Bhavani Tirumurti (PU) 8-7, 7-4
Order of Finish: 1, 2*, 3
Singles
1. Jennifer Rabot (PU) def. No. 13 Maria Mosolova (NU) 6-1, 6-3
2. No. 65 Belinda Niu (NU) def. Bhavani Tirumurti (PU) 6-1, 6-3
3. No. 77 Brittany Wowchuk (NU) def. Mara Schmidt (PU) 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, (10-7)
4. No. 101 Kate Turvy (NU) def. Anna Dushkina (PU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Stacey Lee (NU) def. Imogen Golder (PU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Nida Hamilton (NU) def. Gisella Pere (PU) 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), (10-5)
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 4, 5*, 3, 6