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| Tomo Iwasaki picked up a win in singles play for the Jumbos Wednesday. |
MEDFORD – The women's tennis team had a long evening on Wednesday night, traveling to local rival MIT for a match with the Engineers that began at 5 pm and ended just before midnight with five different sets going to a tiebreaker. The Jumbos fell to the Engineers, 6-3.
With the setback the Tufts women, who were ranked No. 14 in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association national poll, are now 6-2. The loss was the first since returning from their spring break trip and only the second this spring. MIT, who was ranked No. 17 in the most recent poll, moves to 11-4 on the season. The win snapped a four match losing streak for the Engineers.
The Jumbos got the first point of the match, as the pair of sophomore Zoe Miller and freshman Tomo Iwasaki bested Krystal Lai and Rena Liu at number three doubles, 8-3. But, the Engineers then picked up wins in first and second doubles to take a 2-1 lead into singles play. At No. 1 doubles, sophomore Lauren Louks and freshman Mina Karamercan fell to Elysa Kohrs and Sonya Das, 8-4. The match at No. 2 doubles was the closest, as Dora Tzeng and Wendi Kong earned an 8-6 win over the Jumbo pair of junior Conner Calabro and freshman Otilita Popa.
In singles play the Engineers quickly added another point as Kohrs beat Louks at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-4. But, the Jumbos answered back, picking up a win at No. 4 singles with Iwasaki beating Kong, 7-6, 7-6. The next to finish was Das at No. 3 singles as she beat Calabro, 7-6, 6-4, to give the Engineers the 4-2 lead. Miller kept the Jumbos in it as she earned a win over Lai at No. 5 singles, 7-4, 6-1 to move the score to 4-3.
But, Karamercan fell in a long battle to Tzeng at the No. 2 position, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(9) to give the Engineers the 5-3 advantage. Rounding out the Jumbos lineup was junior Jacqueline Baum, who faced off with MIT's Iris Zhuang at No. 6 singles but fell, 4-6, 7-5, 10-7.
The Jumbos will be back in action on Saturday as they resume conference play by hosting Trinity for an 11 am start. The Engineers take the courts again on Saturday as they host Amherst for a 1 pm start.
