Sunday, 04/08/2012

MADISON, Wis. –  The Wisconsin women’s tennis team was edged, 4-3, by the 47th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions Sunday at the Sarni Tennis Center in University Park, Pa.

The loss is UW’s second-straight single-margin loss after suffering a 4-3 defeat Friday at Ohio State. The Badgers drop to 10-9 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten, while Penn State improves to 11-7 and 3-4 in the conference.

The Badgers stuck with the doubles lineup that swept the Buckeyes on Friday, but were only able to get past one Nittany Lions duo.

Freshman Nova Patel and junior Hannah Berner represented UW’s lone doubles victory with an 8-2 victory over Carmen Sandor and Marie Bedard at court two.

At the top spot, sophomore Nicky Stracar and senior Alaina Trgovich recorded just one game off the pair of Petra Januskova and Chelsea Utting.

With the first two matches split, the doubles point was on the line at No. 3 where Penn State’s Fernanda Perrotta and Nina Sertic got the better of senior Angela Chupa and freshman Sarah Loebel, 8-4.

After claiming the first singles win at court two, the Nittany Lions took an early 2-0 lead, before the Badgers tied the match, 2-2, with wins from courts three and four.

Stracar was held to just one game at court two, losing, 6-0, 6-1, to Utting.

Loebel recorded UW’s first point of the match with a win over Sandor in straight sets at No. 4, 6-2, 6-2.

Berner tacked on another point for the Badgers from court three. Berner came out on top in a close first set, 7-5, before making quick work of Perrotta in the second, 6-1.

Trgovich faced the only ranked Nittany Lion in No. 61 Januskova at the No. 1 spot. Trgovich was shut out, 6-0, in the first set, before falling in a competitive second set, 7-5, as Penn State took a 3-2 lead.

At court five, Patel equalized the match with her third-straight win. The UW freshman defeated Bedard, 6-3, 6-2.

In the deciding match, Sertic defeated senior Aleksandra Markovic, 6-3, 6-3, as the Nittany Lions clinched the match, 4-3.

Wisconsin returns home next weekend to host a pair of foes from the Hoosier state, Purdue and Indiana. A 2:30 p.m. matchup with the Boilermakers is set for Friday, April 13, while the Badgers take the court against the Hoosiers on Sunday, April 15 at 11 a.m.

Doubles:
1. Petra Januskova/ Chelsea Utting (PSU) def. Nicky Stracar / Alaina Trgovich (UW), 8-1
2. Nova Patel / Hannah Berner (UW) def. Carmen Sandor / Marie Bedard (PSU), 8-2
3. Fernanda Perrotta/ Nina Sertic (PSU) def. Angela Chupa / Sarah Loebel (UW), 8-4

Order of finish:
1, 2, 3

Singles:
1. #61 Petra Januskova (PSU) def. Alaina Trgovich (UW), 6-0, 7-5
2. Chelsea Utting (PSU) def. Nicky Stracar (UW), 6-0, 6-1
3. Hannah Berner (UW) def. Fernanda Perrotta (PSU), 7-5, 6-1
4. Sarah Loebel (UW) def. Carmen Sandor (PSU), 6-2, 6-2
5. Nova Patel (UW) def. Marie Bedard (PSU), 6-3, 6-2
6. Nina Sertic (PSU) def. Aleksandra Markovic (UW), 6-3, 6-3

Order of finish:
2, 4, 3, 1, 5, 6