Rutgers University
University of Delaware
Rutgers Tennis Drops Close Opener to Delaware
Feb 03 | Women's Tennis
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Feb. 3, 2013) - In its first contest of the 2013 season, the Rutgers tennis team fell to Delaware in a tightly-contested match, 4-3, at the Atlantic Club in Manasquan, N.J., Sunday. The Scarlet Knights won three of the six singles matches and took one of the three doubles contests.
RU, led by 10th-year head coach Ben Bucca, moved to 0-1 in the season and Delaware improved to 2-0.
Rutgers started off strong taking the first two singles matches in straight sets. Junior Vanessa Petrini (Stamford, Conn.) started it off by defeating Delaware's Danea Jonjic (6-3, 6-4). Then, freshman Gina Li (Hillsborough, N.J.) picked up a win over Dorothy Safron of the Blue Hens (7-5, 6-3).
Classmate Lindsey Kayati (Monroeville, N.J.) rounded out the Scarlet Knights' victories in singles competition, downing Delaware's Olivia Heim in the fifth spot, 6-4, 6-0.
With the match tied at three heading into doubles play for the final team point, Rutgers was able to notch a win with the tandem of Li and Kayati over Jonjic and Heim in dominating fashion, 8-1. Despite the win in the No. 2 singles spot, the Scarlet Knights dropped the other two doubles contests to fall to Delaware.
The Scarlet Knights are back in action on the road, taking on Lehigh on Feb. 7 in Bethlehem, Pa., at 3 p.m.
Delaware 4, Rutgers 3
Singles
No. 1: Vanessa Petrini (R) def. Danea Jonjic (D), 6-3, 6-4
No. 2: Gina Li (R) def. Dorothy Safron (D), 7-5, 6-3
No. 3: Carmen Lai (D) def. Mariam Zein (R), 6-0, 6-3
No. 4: Nataliya Naumova (D) def. Noor Judeh (R), 6-3, 6-0
No. 5: Lindsey Kayati (R) def. Olivia Heim, 6-4, 6-0
No. 6: Kim Milla (D) def. Lindsay Balsamo (R), 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1: Safron/Lai (D) def. Petrini/Zein (R), 8-6
No. 2: Li/Kayati (R) def. Jonjic/Heim (D), 8-1
No. 3: Naumova/Milla (D) def. Judeh/Balsamo (R), 8-3
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