The women’s tennis team was unable to capitalize on its chances this weekend, dropping its two Ivy League matches to Harvard and Brown, 6-1 in each match—the same score by which the Lions have been defeated in each of their first three Ivy contests. The losses drop Columbia (4-11, 0-3 Ivy) to a tie for last place in the Ancient Eight with rival Penn.
“I thought we played very well,” said head coach Ilene Weintraub, despite the lopsided scores, “I thought we competed hard in both matches and we played better doubles, which is encouraging for the rest of the season.”
Against Harvard on Friday, the Lions got off to a slow start in the doubles point, as Harvard swept each of the three doubles matches easily. At No. 1 doubles, Nina Suda and Natasha Makarova were taken out quickly, 8-0. At No. 2 doubles, Marlena Hall teamed up with Eliza Matache, but the duo only managed to take two games from their Harvard opponents. Finally, at No. 3 doubles, the pairing of Natalia Christenson and Carling Donovan had the most success, losing 8-3.
“We played hard against Harvard,” said Weintraub, “but they just capitalized on the big points. Even though the score was one-sided, I thought it was close overall. They were just winning the big points. They are tough, one through six, in singles.”
The Lions’ sluggish start continued in the singles play, during which they lost all but one of their first sets. At No. 1 singles, Makarova was beaten 6-0 in the first set by Laura Peterzan. Despite the result, Makarova battled back in the second set, even breaking her opponent’s serve, and fighting until 5-5. At 5-5 however, Peterzan regained her form and took the next two games and the match, 7-5. No. 2 singles would prove to be a testy encounter as well, as Columbia freshman Nicole Stanziola went up against sophomore Sam Rosekrans from Harvard. After arguing several times in the first set about line calls, Rosekrans took the first set, 6-0. In the first game of the second set, Stanziola was thrown off when Rosekrans called a late let and forced Stanziola to replay the point. After complaining to the roving umpire to no avail, Stanziola struggled, losing the second set, 6-2.
No. 3 singles was the lone bright spot for the Lions, as Matache won her first set against Agnes Sibilski, 6-4. Sibilski rallied in the second, however, taking it 6-1. The two played a third set super-tiebreak, since the outcome of the match had already been decided. Matache took a 5-2 lead, only to drop the next three points. Matache rallied to 9-8 in the tiebreak, and won after her opponent hit a return long.
Hall struggled at No. 4 singles against a hard-hitting opponent, Holly Cao, who won 6-2, 6-0. Donovan also put up a good fight in a losing effort at No. 5 singles, falling 6-4, 6-4. Senior co-captain Suda had chances to take the first set, but dropped it and the match 7-5, 6-2.
On Saturday against Dartmouth, the Lions fared better in doubles, winning with Hall and Matache at the No. 2 position, 8-2. Makarova and Suda lost 8-3 at No. 1 doubles, while Donovan and Christenson, playing at No. 3 again, lost 8-4.
Although Stanziola played No. 1 against Dartmouth, the Lions were once again overmatched. Stanziola lost in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 to Molly Scott from Dartmouth. Makarova, at No. 2, lost 6-3, 6-1, as well, to Mary Beth Winingham.
Once again, Matache put up a great effort for Columbia. After losing the first set, 6-2, Matache rallied to win the second 6-1. A third set tiebreak was played, but Matache could not pull her magic for two days in a row, falling 10-8.
“I think in the fall, she struggled to adjust to the hard courts,” said Weintraub of Matache. “She had only played on clay courts her whole life. But I think now her footwork is much better and she is the most improved on the team in one year. I think as she continues to improve, it will be helpful for our program.”
Hall retired after one game in her match at No. 4, while Donovan struggled against Ryan Reichel losing 6-0, 6-2. Suda came back after losing the first set 6-1, to win the next two, 6-3, 6-4, for the Lions’ only point of the afternoon.
The Lions will return to action when they travel to Brown on Friday, April 10.