COLUMBUS, Ohio - No. 22 Ohio State jumped out by taking the doubles point and the first three singles matches, halting the 28th-ranked Purdue women's tennis team's eight-match winning streak, 4-3, at the Varsity Indoor Tennis Center Friday. It was just the third loss of the season for the Boilermakers, who move to 10-3 overall and 3-1 in B1G action, while the Buckeyes won their seventh straight and improved to 13-4, 6-0 B1G.
For only the fourth time this season, the doubles point was taken from Purdue and it came in a back-and-forth battle. The 44th-ranked Buckeye duo of Gabriella De Santis and Sandy Niehaus struck first with an 8-6 decision over No. 55 Daniela Vidal and Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (12-3) in the top spot. Boilermakers Nicole Robinson and Krisztina Kapitany answered with their fifth-straight win together at No. 3, disposing of Anna Sanford and Oliva Sneed, 8-5.
The point rested on No. 2 doubles and it was and 8-6 setback dealt to Lynda Xepoleas and Natalia Davila by Ohio State's Miho Kowase and Ferny Angeles Paz that earned the point for the Buckeyes.
Despite the fact that the two teams split singles matches, Ohio State got its three on the board right away to clinch the match, winning at Nos. 3, 1 and 6.
All three of Purdue's singles victories were rallies. Robinson dropped the first set to Angeles Paz, 7-5, and came back to deal her the same score in the second set and take the breaker, 10-2. With the win, the sophomore notched her seventh win of the season while playing at No. 4.
Kapitany extended her winning streak to nine straight with a 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (9) showing against Kowase in the fifth spot. The junior from Budapest, Hungary, pushed her spring mark to 10-2 with the win. Closing out the match was Bernard-Feigenbaum, who took a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2) match from Sanford. The win was her 13th this spring and her sixth in a row while playing at No. 2.
From Columbus, the Boilermakers will travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, to face the 71st-ranked Nittany Lions Sunday. First serves from the Sarni Tennis Center are set for 11 a.m. ET.
No. 22 OHIO STATE 4, No. 28 PURDUE 3
Doubles
1. No. 44 Gabriella De Santis/Sandy Niehaus (Ohio State) def. No. 55 Daniela Vidal/Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (Purdue), 8-6
2. Miho Kowase/Ferny Angeles Paz (Ohio State) def. Lynda Xepoleas/Natalia Davila (Purdue), 8-6
3. Nicole Robinson/Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue) def. Anna Sanford/Oliva Sneed (Ohio State), 8-5
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Gabriella De Santis (Ohio State) def. Daniela Vidal (Purdue), 6-4, 6-0
2. Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (Purdue) def. Anna Sanford (Ohio State), 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2)
3. Sandy Niehaus (Ohio State) def. Lynda Xepoleas (Purdue), 6-2, 7-5
4. Nicole Robinson (Purdue) def. Ferny Angeles Paz (Ohio State), 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (2)
5. Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue) def. Miho Kowase (Ohio State), 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (9)
6. Oliva Sneed (Ohio State) def. Andjela Djokovic (Purdue), 7-5, 7-6 (2)
Order of finish: 3, 1, 6, 4, 5, 2