Women's Tennis Hangs with UNCW Friday in Tight 4-3 Loss

Friday, March 25

Wilmington, N.C.

10:30 a.m.

Drexel University

UNCW

Photo by: UNCW Athletics Communications

Women's Tennis Hangs with UNCW Friday in Tight 4-3 Loss

3/25/2016 6:13:00 PM | Women's Tennis

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- After a couple days of rest and relaxation, Drexel Tennis' women dropped a tight 4-3 match to UNCW while the men fell, 6-1, on Friday.

Drexel's women are now 10-4 overall and 0-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association on the year, while the men dropped to 9-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

"We are a different team after this spring break. We may have lost to some tough competition, but we have come away with so many positives from these matches," head coach Mehdi Rhazali said. "We have grown so much and improved on many levels. On the women's side a few important points fell UNCW's way, and you just need to be perfect against a team of their caliber. UNCW's men are incredibly strong and aggressive at the top of their lineup.

"I'm proud of this group, we just need to keep working hard and preparing ourselves mentally for this final stretch of matches."

The women split the singles matches with the Seahawks, but could only break through in one of the three doubles matches en route to dropping a crucial point. Ryshena Providence and Erin Bowsher, a formidable tandem for the Dragons all season long, came through with a 6-1 win over Alix Theodossiou and Hollie Champion. The Dragons would get a strong effort from Kendra Bunch and Lea Winkler at the No. 2 spot, but they ultimately could not come away with the victory against Sabrina Barisano and Madara Straume, 7-5.

In singles play, the Dragons faced the daunting task of needing to win four out of six matches to take the dual. However, they would only come away with three. Clary Rodriguez Cruz fought her way to an impressive three-set victory over Theodossiou, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3, at No. 3. Drexel would then get wins from the Nos. 5 and 6 positions from Lea Winkler and Fiorella Coria, respectively. After winning a first set tiebreak, Winkler would use the momentum to lead her to a 7-6 (3), 6-1 triumph over Barisano, while Coria followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Champion.

Drexel's men struggled to find their footing against the No. 63-ranked Seahawks on Friday afternoon. UNCW jumped out to win the doubles point and would not look back. The Dragons would, however, get on the board with a win from Sinan Orhon at the No. 5 spot. The freshman took Ben Aviv Shabat to three sets, overcoming a second set sweep to ultimately come away with the 6-4, 0-6, 10-8 win.

"Sinan Orhon was great, he was the player of the match once again," Rhazali said. "He played smart and positioned himself well for each and every ball."

The Dragons return home to Philadelphia to close out non-conference play at Saint Joseph's Wednesday, March 30, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

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Women: UNCW 4, Drexel 3
Singles
Madara Straume (UNCW) DEF Honami Yazawa (DU), 6-2, 6-4
Christine Kharkevitch (UNCW) DEF Erin Bowsher (DU), 6-3, 6-0
Clary Rodriguez Cruz (DU) DEF Alix Theodossiou (UNCW), 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3
Laura Gomez (UNCW) DEF Providence (DU), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3)
Lea Winkler (DU) DEF Sabrina Barisano (UNCW), 7-6 (3), 6-1
Fiorella Coria (DU) DEF Hollie Champion (UNCW), 6-2, 6-2

Doubles
Kharkevitch & Gomez (UNCW) DEF Yazawa & Rodriguez Cruz (DU), 6-2
Barisano & Straume (UNCW) DEF Bunch & Winkler (DU), 7-5
Bowsher & Providence (DU) DEF Theodossiou & Champion (UNCW), 6-1

Men: UNCW 6, Drexel 1
Singles
Santtu Leskinen (UNCW) DEF Xabier Saavedra (DU), 6-1, 6-1
Christiaan Van der Burgh (UNCW) DEF Andrew Sinai (DU), 6-3, 6-4
Augustin Savarino (UNCW) DEF Hamza Laalej (DU), 6-3, 6-1
Xander Veys (UNCW) DEF Balaji Lakshmanan (DU), 6-3, 6-4
Sinan Orhon (DU) DEF Aviv Ben Shabat (UNCW), 6-4, 0-6, 10-8
Andres Torres (UNCW) DEF Daniil Ginzburg (DU), 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
Van der Burgh & Ben Shabat (UNCW) DEF Ginzburg & Laalej (DU), 6-0
Leskinen & Veys (UNCW) vs. Orhon & Ashok (DU), DNF (4-2)
Cramer & Savarino (UNCW) DEF Saavedra & Lakshmanan (DU), 6-1