Ohio State
Illinois (Semifinals)
No. 5 Buckeyes on to B1G Tournament Final after Win over Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 30, 2016
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 5-ranked Ohio State women’s tennis team extended its winning streak to 11, topping No. 4 seed Illinois, 4-0, in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. The Buckeyes improve to 27-2 this season.
No. 1 seed Ohio State, looking for its first Big Ten Tournament title, will play in the championship match at noon Sunday against No. 3 seed and No. 11 ranked Michigan. This will be the second consecutive and third overall appearance in the final match for the Buckeyes, who fell to the Wolverines last season in the championship match. Ohio State first played in the championship match in 2004. The Buckeyes and Wolverines met in a nonconference match Jan. 31 in Ann Arbor, with Ohio State prevailing 4-2.
Against Illinois in the semifinals, the Buckeyes posted wins on courts one and two for the doubles point. In singles, junior Miho Kowase and freshman Francesca Di Lorenzo each won quickly in straight sets for a 3-0 Buckeye lead. Junior Sandy Niehaus, after dropping the first set, won the next two to clinch the team victory for the Buckeyes.
The No. 8-ranked team of Kowase and sophomore Anna Sanford put the Buckeyes ahead in doubles with a 6-3 win on court one over No. 44-ranked Louise Kwong and Ines Vias. Kowase and Sanford are 25-7 this year, leading the Buckeyes in doubles wins as a team. On court two, juniors Sandy Niehaus and Gabriella De Santis, the 56th-ranked team, won 6-3 over Jerricka Boone and Madie Bailon to clinch the doubles point. Play was suspended on court three with the Buckeye duo of Di Lorenzo and sophomore Olivia Sneed ahead 6-5.
In singles, Kowase dropped just two games to post her 17th win in a row, defeating Alexis Casati, 6-0, 6-2, on court three for a 2-0 Buckeye advantage. Kowase is 21-1 in dual matches this spring. No. 5-ranked Di Lorenzo followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 118 Kwong on court one to put the Buckeyes up 3-0. Di Lorenzo has a team-high 32 wins this season and has won her last 11.
On court five, Niehaus, ranked 80th, lost the first set 6-1 against Jaclyn Switkes. She tied the match with a 6-4 win in the second set and then cruised in the third, winning 6-1 to clinch the team victory. Niehaus is 11-0 in dual matches this spring.
The remaining three singles matches were suspended. Junior Ferny Angeles Paz had won the first set and was ahead 5-4 in the second on court four. On court six, Sneed won the first set before dropping the second set in a tiebreaker. She won the first match in the third set before play was called. On court two, Sanford won the first set in a tiebreaker and was down 5-2 in the second.
Illinois vs Ohio State
Apr 30, 2016 at East Lansing, Mich.
(MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts)
#5 Ohio State 4, #51 Illinois 0
Singles competition
1. #5 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) def. #118 Louise Kwong (ILL) 6-2, 6-2
2. #110 Anna Sanford (OSU) vs. Ines Vias (ILL) 7-6 (7-5), 2-5, unfinished
3. #106 Miho Kowase (OSU) def. Alexis Casati (ILL) 6-0, 6-2
4. Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) vs. Madie Baillon (ILL) 6-2, 5-4, unfinished
5. #80 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) def. Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) 1-6, 6-4, 6-1
6. #111 Olivia Sneed (OSU) vs. Daniela PedrazaNovak (ILL) 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 1-0, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #8 Anna Sanford/Miho Kowase (OSU) def. #44 Louise Kwong/Ines Vias (ILL) 6-4
2. #56 Sandy Niehaus/Gabriella De Santis (OSU) def. Jerricka Boone/Madie Baillon (ILL) 6-3
3. Francesca Di Lorenzo/Olivia Sneed (OSU) vs. Daniela PedrazaNovak/Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) 6-5, unfinished
Match Notes:
Illinois 15-9, 8-3 B1G; National ranking #51
Ohio State 27-2, 11-0 B1G; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (3,1,5)
Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament Semifinal
Ohio State No. 1 seed, Illinois No. 4 seed
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Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,5
