Sunday, 02/28/2010

Flower clinches non-conference win

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 17 Ohio State women’s tennis team (10-3) won the first of its doubleheader matches Sunday over Oregon (5-7) 4-1 at home in the OSU Varsity Tennis Center in front of the biggest crowd this season.

 

“That was a war,” Chuck Merzbacher, Ohio State head coach, said. “I was very impressed with Oregon and the way they competed. This was their third match in three days and they still fought hard.”

 

The Buckeyes took the early lead following the doubles matches. On court two, Paloma Escobedo and Christina Keesey played a dominating match against Oregon’s Julia Metzger and Sabine Fuchs, winning 8-1. The freshman duo of Gabby Steele and Fidan Manashirova clinched the doubles point after downing Patricia Skowronski and Emannuelle Cor, 8-3. The win was number 10 for the Buckeye twosome, joining Cami Hubbs and Kelsey Haviland in double-digit victories. Play on the first court was suspended after the Buckeyes clinched the doubles point.

 

Haviland was the first off the court in singles for Ohio State, quickly defeating Skowronski in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, at the fourth position. Down 2-0, Oregon narrowed the margin to 2-1 after Pavlina Smatova won in straight sets over Keesey, 6-2, 6-4. On court six, Manashirova quickly won the first set against Sabine Fuchs, 6-3. The second set was a back-and-forth battle between the two players, with the score winding up 6-all and heading to a tiebreaker. Manashirova came out on top, winning 7-4 in the tiebreaker to move the Buckeyes one point closer to victory.

 

No. 67 Kirsten Flower provided the clinching point for the Scarlet and Gray on court one. The senior from Upper Arlington, Ohio, engaged in an emotional in-state battle against 96th-ranked Metzger, hailing from Perrysburg, Ohio. With a large crowd cheering for both sides, Flower quickly took the first set 6-2 before forcing the second set into a tiebreaker after being down 0-4. The tiebreaker was much of the same for the two netters, tied at 6 before Flower earned the victory with a final score of 8-6.

 

The matches on courts two and five were left unfinished after Flower’s clinching match. On court two, Escobedo faced off against Trudie du Toit and on court five Steele was competing with Oregon’s Cor. Both matches were in the third set before suspension.

 

The Buckeyes move on to face California University of Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. Sunday in the second half of the doubleheader at home in the OSU Varsity Tennis Center.

 

Tennis Match Results

Oregon vs Ohio State

Feb 28, 2010 at Columbus, Ohio

(OSU Varsity Tennis Center)

 

#17 Ohio State 4, Oregon 1

 

 Singles competition

1. #67 Kirsten Flower (OSU) def. #96 Julia Metzger (ORE) 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)

2. Paloma Escobedo (OSU) vs. Trudie du Toit (ORE) 5-7, 6-4, 0-1, unfinished

3. Pavlina Smatova (ORE) def. Christina Keesey (OSU) 6-2, 6-4

4. Kelsey Haviland (OSU) def. Patricia Skowronski (ORE) 6-4, 6-3

5. Gabby Steele (OSU) vs. Emannuelle Cor (ORE) 6-3, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished

6. Fidan Manashirova (OSU) def. Sabine Fuchs (ORE) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

 

 Doubles competition

1. Kelsey Haviland/Cami Hubbs (OSU) vs. Pavlina Smatova/Trudie du Toit (ORE) 4-5, unfinished

2. Paloma Escobedo/Christina Keesey (OSU) def. Julia Metzger/Sabine Fuchs (ORE) 8-1

3. Fidan Manashirova/Gabby Steele (OSU) def. Patricia Skowronski/Emannuelle Cor (ORE) 8-3

 

Match Notes:

Oregon 5-6

Ohio State 9-3; National ranking #17

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,3,6,1)

T-3:12  A-182

 

No. 17 Buckeyes Shut Out California University (Pa.)

Buckeyes finish 6-1 in home non-conference play

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 17th-ranked Ohio State women’s tennis team (11-3) completed its Sunday doubleheader with a 7-0 shutout win over the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans (6-2). The Buckeyes are now 6-0 in doubleheaders this season.

 

“California University is going to have a good season,” Ohio State head coach Chuck Merzbacher said. “I was impressed and I definitely think they’re going to make a run at the Division II national championship. It was nice to get some players back on the court and for the team to continue to improve.”

 

The Scarlet and Gray opened the contest by taking all three doubles matches for the first time since Jan. 23 at Missouri. The top duo of Kelsey Haviland and Cami Hubbs kicked things off with an 8-0 victory over Cal. University’s Anastassiya Zherdeva and Galina Vishnikina at the No. 1 spot. Freshmen Fidan Manashirova and Gabby Steele took their match against Jutta Bornefeld and Jade Pondicas, 8-2, on the third court. The win moves Steele and Manashirova into a tie with Haviland and Hubbs at the top of the team’s doubles wins column at 11.

 

The Buckeye tandem of Paloma Escobedo and Christina Keesey locked up the doubles sweep for the Buckeyes, defeating the Vulcan’s Alina Stanila and Nina Kowalski, 8-2, at No. 2.

 

Escobedo finished first for the Buckeyes, downing California University’s Anastassiya Zherdeva in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, on court two. Moments later on court six, freshman Kara Cecil put the Buckeyes up 3-0 after taking the match against Vishnikina in straight sets, 6-0 6-0.

 

Senior Kirsten Flower defeated Kowalski at the top position to clinch the match for the Buckeyes, 6-0, 6-1. Haviland, playing at the third position, proved victorious over last year’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West’s Freshman of the Year, winning in straight sets over Cal. University’s Stanila, 6-2, 6-1. With the win, Haviland tied her singles wins total from last season (14).

 

Keesey battled with Bornefeld of the Vulcans in the first set, with the match tied at 4-4 before the Buckeye pulled away to take the set 6-4. The senior then pushed the Buckeyes within one point of the team’s sixth shutout of the season, downing Bornefeld, 6-4, 6-2.

 

Hubbs ensured the shutout for the Scarlet and Gray, defeating Pondicas on court five. Hubbs was down 0-3 in the first set, but stormed back to tie the set at 6-6 and win the tiebreaker, 7-4. Hubbs quickly won the second set to take the match, 7-6 (4), 6-1.

 

With the win, the Buckeyes have bookended the month of February with shutout victories. The team opened the month with a 7-0 win at home over Kentucky.

 

Up next for the Buckeyes is a trip to face Big Ten foe Penn State in State College, Pa., at 3 p.m. Friday to begin conference play.

 

Tennis Match Results

California (Pa.) vs Ohio State

Feb 28, 2010 at Columbus, Ohio

(OSU Varsity Tennis Center)

 

#17 Ohio State 7, California (Pa.) 0

 

 Singles competition

1. #67 Kirsten Flower (OSU) def. Nina Kowalski (CALPA) 6-0, 6-1

2. Paloma Escobedo (OSU) def. Anastassiya Zherdeva (CALPA) 6-0, 6-1

3. Kelsey Haviland (OSU) def. Alina Stanila (CALPA) 6-2, 6-1

4. Christina Keesey (OSU) def. Jutta Bornefeld (CALPA) 6-4, 6-2

5. Cami Hubbs (OSU) def. Jade Pondicas (CALPA) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1

6. Kara Cecil (OSU) def. Galina Vishnikina (CALPA) 6-0, 6-0

 

 Doubles competition

1. Cami Hubbs/Kelsey Haviland (OSU) def. Anastassiya Zherdeva/Galina Vishnikina (CALPA) 8-0

2. Paloma Escobedo/Christina Keesey (OSU) def. Alina Stanila/Nina Kowalski (CALPA) 8-2

3. Fidan Manashirova/Gabby Steele (OSU) def. Jutta Bornefeld/Jade Pondicas (CALPA) 8-2

 

Match Notes:

California (Pa.) 6-1

Ohio State 10-3; National ranking #17

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,6,1,3,4,5)

A-40