W. Tennis Blanks UCSB in Season’s First Dual Match
By Teodor Handarov
HurricaneSports.com
AUBURN, Ala. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team dominated its first dual match of the spring, defeating UC Santa Barbara, 4-0, Saturday in ITA Kick-Off Weekend action at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
After winning two straight doubles matches for its first team point of the year, No. 17 Miami (1-0) wrapped up the victory with three straight-set wins against the Gauchos in singles action.
“We spoke about how this match was going to go today and we were right on point,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We played the big points with a level of toughness that has to become our norm from top to bottom every day. We can’t get excited about playing tough and we can’t be surprised when our opponents are tough.”
Senior Sinead Lohan and freshman Ulyana Shirokova got Miami going with a 6-3 win over Lise Sentenac and Elizaveta Volodko. Shortly thereafter, reigning ACC Player of the Week Estela Perez-Somarriba, a sophomore, and junior Ana Madcur prevailed over Palina Dubavets and Natalie Da Silveira, 6-4.
Sophomore Dominika Paterova and junior Daniella Roldan were tied at five apiece against Amanda Atanasson and Stephanie Yamada when play was halted.
Perez-Somarriba quick doubled Miami’s lead with a 6-0, 6-4 singles triumph over Dubavets, earning the Hurricanes’ first singles point of the season.
Shirokova also went 2-0 on the day, as she rolled past Yamada in the second set after a narrow victory in the first to earn a 7-5, 6-1 win and give the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead over UC Santa Barbara (1-2).
Paterova, who fought off Volodko, 6-4, 6-4, clinched the win for the second-seeded Hurricanes over the third-seeded Gauchos.
No. 41 Lohan led Da Silveira, 4-6, 6-4, 1-0, when the match ended, while Roldan was inching towards a win against Atanasson, holding a 7-6 (7-3), 4-1 edge at the time.
The closest the Gauchos came to a point was through Amit Lev Ari, who held a 7-5, 5-1 advantage over Madcur, before the latter won three straight games prior to Paterova locking up the win, ensuring the shutout.
“Toughness is a necessity if we want to be in the running for anything special,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Today, we simply took care of business.”
Saturday’s triumph was the 136th shutout victory of Yaroshuk-Tews’ illustrious career, including the 79th since the start of the 2009 campaign.
The Hurricanes will face their ITA Kick-Off Weekend host, No. 13 Auburn, Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The winner advances to the elite ITA National Team Indoor Championship, held Feb. 9-12 in Madison, Wis.
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. Estela Perez-Somarriba/Ana Madcur (UM) def. Palina Dubavets/Natalie Da Silveira (UCSB), 6-4
2. Dominika Paterova/Daniella Roldan (UM) vs. Amanda Atanasson/Stephanie Yamada (UCSB), 5-5, unf.
3. Sinead Lohan/Ulyana Shirokova (UM) def. Lise Sentenac/Elizaveta Volodko (UCSB), 6-3
Singles Competition
1. No. 36 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Palina Dubavets (UCSB), 6-0, 6-4
2. No. 41 Sinead Lohan (UM) vs. Natalie Da Silveira (UCSB), 4-6, 6-4, 1-0, unf.
3. Daniella Roldan (UM) vs. Amanda Atanasson (UCSB), 7-6 (7-3), 4-1, unf.
4. Dominika Paterova (UM) def. Elizaveta Volodko (UCSB), 6-4, 6-3
5. Ulyana Shirokova (UM) def. Stephanie Yamada (UCSB), 7-5, 6-1
6. Amit Lev Ari (UCSB) vs. Ana Madcur (UM), 7-5, 5-4, unf.
