March 1, 2008

Minneapolis, Minn. - The 54th-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-1/0-0 Big Ten) defeated the Missouri Tigers (8-3/0-0 Big 12), 4-3, Friday night at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

This is the second ranked Big Ten team the Tigers have pushed to the brink. Last Saturday (2/23) Mizzou took one singles match, and took four of the other five to a third set against then-No. 42 Iowa, but the Hawkeyes eventually prevailed, 6-1.

Friday's match against Minnesota was even closer, as the Tigers were one match away from beating their first ranked team this season.

The team match was tied at 3-3 late and it came down to the No. 4 singles contest between Mizzou's Kaitlin Dunham and Minnesota's Elena Kazakova.

Dunham took control early, winning the first set, 6-2, and taking a 4-1 lead in the second. Kazakova came back to win the second set, however, 7-6 (4). Kazakova also took a back and fourth third set, 6-3, to clinch the match for the Gophers.

The Tigers put themselves in a good position by winning three singles matches earlier in the night, led by freshman Mallory Weber's win at No. 1. Weber controlled the match, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. This was Weber's seventh win at the No. 1 spot this spring.

Mizzou also won at the No. 2 and 3 singles spots, as Jessica Giuggioli earned her ninth win of the spring, defeating Karina Chiarelli, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), at No. 2. Chrissy Svetlic won her ninth match in a row, defeating Lindsay Risebrough in three sets at No. 3.

Minnesota's Tijana Koprivica defeated Maureen Modesto in straight sets at No. 5 singles, while Danielle Mousseau beat Kaitlyn Ritchie, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 6.

The Gophers started the evening by taking the doubles point, as they earned wins at No. 2 and No. 3. Mizzou's No. 1 duo of Weber and Svetlic defeated Chiarelli and Risebrough, 8-7 (4), at No. 1, but both Dunham and Sofia Ayala and Ritchie and Giuggioli fell to their Gopher counterparts.

Smell That Dairy Air...

The Tigers will take I-94 south to Madison, Wis., to face the struggling Badgers Sunday at 10 am. Wisconsin is 3-6 this spring, and the Badgers have dropped their last two contests. Feb. 15, then-No. 14 Notre Dame defeated UW, 7-0, and Feb. 17, Penn State edged the Badgers, 4-3. The Badgers have lost six matches, but four of the six have come against teams ranked in the top 15. Elizabeth Carpenter has played No. 1 for UW in eight of the first nine matches. She is 2-6 in those contests.

Results

Minnesota 4, Missouri 3? Feb. 29, 2008

Baseline Tennis Center

Minneapolis, Minn.

Doubles

1. Mallory Weber/Chrissy Svetlic(MO) def. Karina Chiarelli/Lindsay Risebrough (MINN) 8-7 (4)

2. Alessandra Ferrazzi/Tijana Koprivica (MINN) def Sofia Ayala/Kaitlin Dunham (MO) 8-5

3. Danielle Mousseau/Mikayla Rogers (MINN) def. Kaitlyn Ritchie/Jessica Giuggioli (MO) 8-6

Singles

1. Weber (MO) def. Ferrazzi (MINN) 6-2, 6-4

2. Giuggioli (MO) def. Chiarelli (MINN) 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3)

3. Svetlic (MO) def. Risebrough (MINN) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2

4. Elena Kazakova (MINN) def. Dunham (MO) 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3

5. Koprivica (MINN) def. Maureen Modesto (MO) 6-3, 6-4

6. Mousseau (MINN) def. Ritchie (MO) 6-3, 6-2