CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team did not need long to defeat No. 28 Wake Forest Sunday afternoon at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
With the start time pushed back from 11 a.m., to 1:30 p.m., due to wind, singles was played first and No. 44 Miami (4-4, 3-0 ACC) reeled off four wins in under an hour and 15 minutes to take down the Demon Deacons.
“There was a point there were I really didn’t think the match was going to happen and I was happy things changed,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “I think we got a good hit in when they originally said we were going to wait the 90 minutes. I think they were loose and I didn’t think the conditions were that bad where they were really affecting anyone.”
Estela Perez-Somarriba, ranked No. 76, earned the first point of the match with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 triumph over No. 86 Emma Davis. The victory, which was the freshman’s first over a ranked opponent, moved her to 16-4 in 2016-17, including 9-1 in the spring.
Redshirt senior Maci Epstein, ranked No. 97, doubled Miami’s lead shortly thereafter with a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Joanna Zalewski.
Sophomore Ana Madcur was the third Hurricane to drop fewer than four games, logging a 6-1, 6-2 win versus Luisa Fernandez.
Seventh-ranked Sinead Lohan clinched the match for Miami, tallying a 6-2, 6-3 victory over No. 67 Kimmy Guerin.
“Our girls just played well. I think that comes with probably a little confidence of winning a couple matches, playing outside in our conditions and playing conference matches they know are important,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “I think a little bit of it comes, too, from a lot of the discussions and conversations we’ve been having behind the scenes. I said it after Ohio State and Baylor, we have positive spots in our lineup . . . and today it seems like everybody was playing good tennis at the right time.”
When singles play was halted, junior Silvia Fuentes was about to begin her third set against Courtney Meredith after splitting the first two, 6-2, 0-6. Additionally, freshman Dominika Paterova trailed Chandler Carter, 4-6, 3-2, in the lone match Wake Forest (11-3, 2-1 ACC) held the lead.
Overall, Miami won nine of 11 completed singles sets. With the match already clinched in singles competition, none of the doubles contests were played.
This was the 131st shutout victory of Yaroshuk-Tews’ illustrious 16-year tenure at Miami, including the 74th since 2009 and the second of the season. She is now 310-95 at the helm of the Hurricanes, including 259-77 in 13 years in the ACC, one shy of Virginia’s Phil Rogers for fifth-most by a coach in his/her years in the league.
The Hurricanes’ next match will be their first ACC road contest, as Miami takes on fifth-ranked Georgia Tech March 14 at 3 p.m., in Atlanta.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
RESULTS
Doubles Competition
1. Maci Epstein/Sinead Lohan (UM) vs. Chandler Carter/Kimmy Guerin (WF), no result
2. Ana Madcur/Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) vs. Luisa Fernandez/Joanna Zalewski (WF), no result
3. Silvia Fuentes/Dominika Paterova (UM) vs. Alexis Franco/Courtney Meredith (WF), no result
Singles Competition
1. No. 7 Sinead Lohan (UM) def. No. 67 Kimmy Guerin (WF), 6-2, 6-3
2. No. 76 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. No. 86 Emma Davis (WF), 6-1, 6-1
3. No. 97 Maci Epstein (UM) def. Joanna Zalewski (WF), 6-1, 6-2
4. Chandler Carter (WF) vs. Dominika Paterova (UM), 6-4, 2-3, unfinished
5. Ana Madcur (UM) def. Luisa Fernandez (WF), 6-1, 6-2
6. Silvia Fuentes (UM) vs. Courtney Meredith (WF), 6-2, 0-6, unfinished
