Women's Tennis Secures 5-2 Win Friday Over Fordham at Legacy

Friday, January 29

Legacy Center

12 p.m.

Drexel University

Fordham

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Tennis Secures 5-2 Win Friday Over Fordham at Legacy

1/29/2016 4:56:00 PM | Women's Tennis

PHILADELPHIA – In its toughest test thus far in the young season, Drexel women's tennis earned a hard-fought 5-2 victory over the Fordham Rams on Friday afternoon at Legacy Center as part of Drexel Homecoming Weekend.

Drexel now improves to a perfect 3-0 mark on the year. The Dragons won the all-important doubles point in their narrow win over Fordham a year ago, and again used the point as a springboard to victory. It proved to be a crucial point as the Dragons edged the Rams 4-2 in singles but not before two matches required third sets to be decided.

"We played well today," head coach Mehdi Rhazali said. " We worked very hard on the mental part of the game, and I think we have started to understand the thought process of how to play the important points and games. I think we did a great job sticking to the plan and having the self-confidence we needed to win today."

That doubles point was not an easy one by any means. Drexel's duo of Honami Yazawa and Clary Rodriguez Cruz lost for the first time in dual play this season, 6-4, to Mayu Sato and Hannah Drayton. The Dragons would battle back and pick up their teammates. Lea Winkler and Kendra Bunch, coming off of being named the CAA Doubles Performer of the Week, cruised past Gianna Insogna and Destiny Grunin at No. 2, 6-2. Ryshena Providence and Erin Bowsher then finished off the Rams at No. 3, 6-4, to take the point.

In singles, head coach Mehdi Rhazali's team faced a stiff challenge. Yazawa was up to the task, taking a 6-4, 6-4 win. Estelle Wong proved to be too much for Erin Bowsher as the Dragons' senior fell, 6-3, 6-3. At No. 3, Rodriguez Cruz played perhaps the match of the day, battling back after dropping the first set to ultimately win, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

With the Dragons needing just one more point to take the dual, Winkler and Bunch came through. Winkler, the Swiss junior, fought through a first-set tiebreak to win, 7-6 (2), 6-2. Bunch made quick work of Grunin for a 6-0, 6-4 win. Providence went on to win the first set of her match at No. 6, but would drop the next two to fall, 1-6, 6-4, 10-3.

Drexel was scheduled to take on the Morgan State Bears on Sunday; however, Morgan State's women are no longer making the trip. Instead, the Dragons' women will turn their attention to a tough schedule next weekend when they travel to Lehigh on Saturday and to Penn on Sunday.

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Drexel 5, Fordham 2
Singles
Honami Yazawa (DU) DEF Mayu Sato (FU), 6-4, 6-4
Estelle Wong (FU) DEF Erin Bowsher (DU), 6-3, 6-3
Clary Rodriguez Cruz (DU) DEF Hannah Drayton (FU), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Lea Winkler (DU) DEF Alexis Zobeideh (FU), 7-6 (2), 6-2
Kendra Bunch (DU) DEF Destiny Grunin (FU), 6-0, 6-4
Gianna Insogna (FU) DEF Ryshena Providence (DU), 1-6, 6-4, 10-3

Doubles
Sato & Drayton (FU) DEF Yazawa & Rodriguez Cruz (DU), 6-4
Winkler & Bunch (DU) DEF Insogna & Grunin (FU), 6-2
Providence & Bowsher (DU) DEF Zobeideh & Wong (FU), 6-4