WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 32 Purdue women's tennis team took down No. 54 Memphis, 5-1, Sunday on the Basham Courts at the Schwartz Tennis Center. The Boilermakers defended their home court, going 2-0 this weekend against a pair of ranked opponents while lifting their record to 4-2, 0-0 B1G. The loss brought the Tigers to 7-6, 2-0 ACC.
"I thought we came out with a lot of energy today and that was something we needed to today against Memphis," head women's tennis coach Laura Glitz said. "Today was a lot more positive compared to Friday. When you're in a dog fight in these matches, you need to have your energy up. I'm glad we were able to get a pair of Ws this weekend against ranked teams."
For the third time this season, the Boilermakers took the doubles point over their opponent. In their debut together at the No. 3 spot, Nicole Robinson and Krisztina Kapitany beat Tiger tandem Marta Morga and Tara McElory, 6-2. With Robinson and Kapitany playing side-by-side it marked the seventh different doubles pair this season that has appeared for Purdue.
Natalia Davila and Lynda Xepoleas secured the doubles point thanks to a 6-3 decision over Liza Tymchenko and Kathryn Hughes. The win brought the pair their second-straight win at No. 2.
Xepoleas was the first singles player to finish, notching her fifth-consecutive victory with a 6-4, 6-2 performance against Hughes at No. 4. The senior moved to 2-0 as the No. 4 player and 6-1 overall in the spring. Claudia Escribens followed at No. 6 by defeating Memphis' McElory, 6-3, 6-3, to give the Boilermakers a 3-0 advantage.
For the second time this weekend and in as many spring dual matches played, Robinson clinched the match point for the Old Gold & Black with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Alyssa Hibberd in the No. 5 spot.
In a back-and-forth battle in the second set breaker, Vidal pulled through with the 6-4, 7-6 (8) victory over Wind in the No. 1 spot. The 105th-ranked senior picked up her sixth win of the spring campaign and third as the top player for Purdue.
In their next outing, the Boilermakers will suit up in their B1G opener* on the road against Iowa Feb. 28 with first serves from the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex set for 12 p.m. ET.
* The Northwestern match on Feb. 15 did not count towards B1G
No. 32 PURDUE 5, No. 54 MEMPHIS 1
Doubles
1: Anki Wind/Alyssa Hibberd (Memphis) vs. No. 24 Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum/Daniela Vidal (Purdue), 5-2 DNF
2: Natalia Davila/Lynda Xepoleas (Purdue) def. Liza Tymchenko/Kathryn Hughes (Memphis), 6-3
3: Nicole Robinson/Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue) def. Marta Morga/Tara McElory (Memphis), 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 2
Singles
1: No. 105 Daniela Vidal (Purdue) def. Anki Wind (Memphis), 6-4, 7-6 (8)
2: Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (Purdue) vs. Liza Tumchenko (Memphis), 6-4, 3-6, 4-1 DNF
3: Marta Morga (Memphis) def. Deborah Suarez (Purdue), 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (8)
4: Lynda Xepoleas (Purdue) def. Kathryn Hughes (Memphis), 6-4, 6-2
5: Nicole Robinson (Purdue) def. Alyssa Hibberd (Memphis), 7-5, 6-4
6: Claudia Escribens (Purdue) def. Tara McElory (Memphis), 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 4, 6, 5, 1, 3