Perez-Somarriba Shines, W. Tennis Downed at No. 4 Duke
By Alex Schwartz
HurricaneSports.com
Results | Spring Stats | ACC Stats
DURHAM, N.C. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team fell, 6-1, at fourth-ranked Duke Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore Estela Perez-Somarriba defeated the top-ranked player in the ACC, but No. 19 Miami (9-6, 5-3 ACC) could not add any other points at Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.
“Overall, Duke was the better team today,” Miami head coach Paige Yaorshuk-Tews said. “They played higher quality tennis deeper in points and their quality far exceeded ours today.”
After winning the doubles point in the last six matches and nine of the past 10, Miami had its streak snapped by the Blue Devils.
First, Duke (14-1, 8-0 ACC) got a 6-2 win from Meible Chi and Hannah Zhao over senior Sinead Lohan and junior Ana Madcur, ranked No. 50. The nation’s fifth-ranked pair, Kelly Chen and Samantha Harris, clinched the point by topping sophomore Dominika Paterova and freshman Ulyana Shirokova, 6-3.
When play was halted, Perez-Somarriba and junior Daniella Roldan trailed sixth-ranked Ellyse Hamlin and Kaitlyn McCarthy, 3-4.
Ninth-ranked Perez-Somarriba opened singles play with an impressive win in a top-10 showdown with seventh-ranked Harris to level the score.
The Madrid native tallied a 6-1, 6-1 triumph, taking 11 of 12 games at one point, to move to 4-2 in her career versus top-10 foes. Harris is the third-highest-ranked player Perez-Somarriba has defeated in her young career and the victory moved her to 16-1 on the spring, including 7-1 versus top-80 opponents.
“Estela played an extremely clean match today,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “I was happy to see her bounce back from a tough one Friday.”
Perez-Somarriba’s win ended a six-match shutout streak for the Blue Devils, who had not allowed a point since Feb. 18 or a home point since Jan. 28.
No. 29 Chen put Duke back in front by recording a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Roldan. Shortly thereafter, No. 69 McCarthy downed Shirokova, 6-4, 6-2, to pull the Blue Devils within a point of victory.
In the other ranked matchup of the afternoon, No. 60 edged No. 71 Lohan, 6-4, 6-3 to clinch the win for Duke. Moments later, No. 73 Hamlin tacked on another point by topping Madcur, 6-4, 6-2.
The Blue Devils earned their sixth and final point when Zhao completed her 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) defeat of Paterova.
“We need to put this one behind us fast and look forward to another big weekend of tennis against a sold Wake Forest team,” Yaroshuk-Tews said.
Sunday was the first time this season the Hurricanes did not register multiple points and Duke became the first team to post six points against Miami since Boston College on March 24, 2017.
Miami will play just one match in the next week, as it resumes action March 31 at noon against No. 14 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., the site of the 2018 NCAA Championships.
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. No. 6 Ellyse Hamlin/Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) vs. Estela Perez-Somarriba/Daniella Roldan (UM) 4-3, unf.
2. No. 5 Kelly Chen/Samantha Harris (DU) def. Dominika Paterova/Ulyana Shirokova (UM), 6-3
3. Meible Chi/Hannah Zhao (DU) def. No. 50 Sinead Lohan/Ana Madcur (UM), 6-2
Singles Competition
1. No. 9 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. No. 7 Samantha Harris (DU), 6-1, 6-1
2. No. 60 Meible Chi (DU) def. No. 71 Sinead Lohan (UM), 6-4, 6-3
3. No. 29 Kelly Chen (DU) def. Daniella Roldan (UM), 6-2, 6-0
4. No. 69 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) def. Ulyana Shirokova (UM), 6-4, 6-2
5. No. 73 Ellyse Hamlin (DU) def. Ana Madcur (UM), 6-4, 6-2
6. Hannah Zhao (DU) def. Dominika Paterova (UM), 6-0, 7-6 (7-4)
