Rutgers University
Ohio State
Tennis Drops Home Contest with No. 2 Ohio State
Apr 02 | Women's Tennis
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Rutgers tennis dropped its home match with No. 2 Ohio State, 7-0, Saturday afternoon at the East Brunswick Racquet Club. Seniors Gina Li (Hillsborough, N.J.) and Mariam Zein (Sugarland, Texas) captured a win in the No. 1 position in doubles play, the first doubles victory for the Scarlet Knights in Big Ten play this season.
Currently ranked No. 2 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the Buckeyes represented the highest-ranked opponent to visit RU in program history.
In doubles action, Li and Zein downed Francesca Di Lorenzo and Olivia Sneed, 6-4, in the No. 1 position to prevent OSU from sweeping the doubles point. Di Lorenzo and Sneed entered the match ranked as the No. 54th-best doubles team in the country. It was the first conference doubles win for Rutgers and the first doubles win for Li and Zein since March 15 at Prairie View A&M.
Li also battled in the No. 1 singles position against Di Lorenzo, eventually suffering a 6-3, 6-2 defeat. Di Lorenzo, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week this season, is currently ranked No. 3 in the country.
Rutgers returns to action tomorrow, when the Scarlet Knights host Penn State at the East Brunswick Racquet Club beginning at 12:30 p.m. Sunday's match against the Nittany Lions will serve as RU's senior day, as the program will recognize the accomplishments of Li, Zein and Lindsey Kayati (Monroeville, N.J.). The ceremony will take place approximately 10 minutes prior to the match.
Doubles competition
1. Gina Li/Mariam Zein (RU) def. #54 Francesca Di Lorenzo/Olivia Sneed (OSU) 6-4
2. Gabriella De Santis/Sandy Niehaus (OSU) def. Ksenija Tihomirova/Chloe Lee (RU) 6-1
3. Ferny Angeles Paz/Anna Sanford (OSU) def. Lindsey Kayati/Farris Cunningham (RU) 6-3
Singles competition
1. #3 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OSU) def. Gina Li (RU) 6-3, 6-2
2. #99 Anna Sanford (OSU) def. Chloe Lee (RU) 6-3, 6-0
3. Gabriella De Santis (OSU) def. Ksenija Tihomirova (RU) 7-5, 6-1
4. #125 Ferny Angeles Paz (OSU) def. Mariam Zein (RU) 6-1, 6-1
5. #58 Sandy Niehaus (OSU) def. Lindsey Kayati (RU) 6-0, 6-1
6. #114 Olivia Sneed (OSU) def. Farris Cunningham (RU) 6-3, 6-1
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