Women's Tennis Fights to 4-3 Win Friday over UConn in Upper Dublin

Friday, February 17

Upper Dublin Sports Center

12 p.m.

Drexel University

Connecticut

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Tennis Fights to 4-3 Win Friday over UConn in Upper Dublin

2/17/2017 7:19:00 PM | Women's Tennis

UPPER DUBLIN, Pa. – The Drexel women's tennis team earned a signature win Friday afternoon as it battled to a 4-3 win over the American Athletic Conference's Connecticut Huskies at the Upper Dublin Sports Center.

The two teams split the six singles matches, making the doubles point, which the Dragons swept, the difference in the match. Drexel improves to 7-1 on the season.

"We are proud of the way we played and handled adversity today," head coach Mehdi Rhazali said. "We have been working a lot on our mental game and our fitness, and it showed in our movement and our more confident shot selection.

"When we move well, we have more options and we avoid unnecessary unforced errors."

The Dragons came strong out of the gates, earning a sweep of the doubles point that they knew would be key to winning the match. Ryshena Providence and Clary Rodriguez Cruz, fresh off of their CAA Doubles Performer of the Week honor, fought to a 6-5 (7-3) win at the top spot. Drexel closed out the point with 6-2 wins from the duo of Ghita Benhadi and Kendra Bunch at No. 2 as well as the pairing of Lea Winkler and Honami Yazawa in the third. The win for Bunch tied her with Erin Bowsher for the fourth most doubles wins in Drexel history with 48.

With the doubles point in hand, all the Dragons needed to do was split the six singles matches, which they did en route to victory. After dropping two tough three set matches in the top two singles positions, the middles of the Drexel lineup came up big to put the matcha way. Benhadi, playing at the three, put away Jacquelyn Fitz-Randolph in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Winkler then outlasted Summer Walker in three sets at the four, 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-2. Rodriguez Cruz put the match away at the five spot with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Zaina Zaki. The win for th junior from Puerto Rico made her the 10th Drexel women's player to reach 40 in her career.

Drexel continues its busy weekend tomorrow when both teams host Sacred Heart at RiverWinds at 3:30 p.m. On Sunday, both Drexel teams host Fairfield at 11:30 a.m.

Drexel 4, UConn 3
Singles
Emma Alderman (UCONN) DEF Honami Yazawa (DU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva (UCONN) DEF Kendra Bunch (DU), 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-6 (4)
Ghita Benhadi (DU) DEF Jacquelyn Fitz-Randolph (UCONN), 6-3, 6-4
Lea Winkler (DU) DEF Summer Walker (UCONN), 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-2
Clary Rodriguez Cruz (DU) DEF Zaina Zaki (UCONN), 6-3, 7-5
Shea Flanagan (UCONN) DEF Anisiya Simpson (DU), 6-2, 6-4

Doubles
Providence & Rodriguez Cruz (DU) DEF Alderman & Pletnyeva (UCONN), 6-5 (7-3)
Benhadi & Bunch (DU) DEF Perrotta & Fitz-Randolph (UCONN), 6-2
Winkler & Yazawa (DU) DEF Flanagan & Lazaro (UCONN), 6-2