W. Tennis Tops No. 14 Wake, 6-1, for Yaroshuk-Tews’ 350th Win
By Alex Schwartz
HurricaneSports.com
Match Results | Spring Stats | ACC Stats
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team recorded its biggest win of the season Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 14 Wake Forest, 6-1, at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The triumph also served as the 350th victory in the illustrious career of 18th-year head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews, a UM Sports Hall of Fame member.
“Listen, it’s not about me. It’s about these kids and it’s about these seasons,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Three-fifty is a big number. It’s nice to do it at Miami and nice to do it with a great group of girls, but let’s see if I can win some more.”
Junior Yuna Ito and senior Ana Madcur got No. 29 Miami (13-5, 6-4 ACC) off to a dazzling start in doubles play, logging a 6-0 victory over Alexis Franco and Anna Ulyashchenko.
In the lone ranked doubles matchup, freshman Daevenia Achong and senior Daniella Roldan clinched the opening point for Miami. Ranked No. 34 nationally, the Miami duo notched a 6-2 triumph over No. 38 Chandler Carter and Emma Davis.
When play was halted—the first time Miami has not had all three matches played out since March 15—junior Estela Perez-Somarriba and sophomore Ulyana Shirokova were tied, 3-3, against MC Meredith and Eliza Omirou.
Achong was the first Hurricane to get on the board in singles play, turning in a stellar outing to log a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Ulyashchenko.
Miami’s other freshman in the singles lineup, Lucia Marzal, logged its next point. The Valencia, Spain, native defeated Saby Nihalani, 6-1, 6-3, to move the Hurricanes within a point of victory.
Minutes later, second-ranked Perez-Somarriba finished off a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over No. 46 Davis in a top-50 showdown, clinching the overall match against Wake Forest (17-5, 7-3 ACC).
“I think these kids really needed this. I think there is a little bit of a monkey off their back now,” Yaroshuk-Tews said of Miami’s first top-15 win of the year. “We’ve come close to top teams . . . and I think they just needed today to really prove to themselves that they’re a top program. We’ve had really high highs. I don’t think we’ve had any real low lows, but we just haven’t been able to execute, connect and complete matches. So, it was nice to be able to complete the match today.”
Ito added yet another point to Miami’s total, as she registered a three-set decision over Omirou, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1.
The Demon Deacons got their lone point of the afternoon from Carter, who recorded a three-set win against Shirokova, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Madcur concluded the match by tallying on the Hurricanes’ sixth and final point, as she edged Franco in a lengthy straight-set affair, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
“They were very poised. I thought they were very calm,” Yaroshuk-Tews said of her team. “When we got first sets under our belt, with the exception of [Yuna on] Court 3, they did a great job of just staying on point and just doing what got them there . . . I didn’t sense that they were looking at the scoreboard. I didn’t sense that they were looking at their neighbor to finish the match. I thought that they had a sense of responsibility.”
The Hurricanes improved to 21-1 in their all-time series against Wake Forest with Sunday’s victory and have now won 17 consecutive matches against the Demon Deacons.
Up next for Miami is a two-match weekend road trip that begins Friday at 2 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass., against Boston College.
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. 34 Daevenia Achong/Daniella Roldan (UM) def. No. 38 Chandler Carter/Emma Davis (WF), 6-2
2. Estela Perez-Somarriba/Ulyana Shirokova (UM) vs. MC Meredith/Eliza Omirou (WF), 3-3, unf.
3. Yuna Ito/Ana Madcur (UM) def. Alexis Franco/Anna Ulyashchenko (WF), 6-0
Singles Competition
1. No. 2 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. No. 46 Emma Davis (WF), 6-1, 6-4
2. Daevenia Achong (UM) def. Anna Ulyashchenko (WF), 6-2, 6-1
3. Yuna Ito (UM) def. Eliza Omirou (WF), 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
4. Lucia Marzal (UM) def. Saby Nihalani (WF), 6-1, 6-3
5. Chandler Carter (WF) def. Ulyana Shirokova (UM), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
6. Ana Madcur (UM) def. Alexis Franco (WF), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4
