MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a NESCAC matchup between national top 10-ranked teams, the #10 Tufts University women's tennis team fell 5-4 at the #5 Wesleyan University Cardinals on Saturday afternoon.
Tufts (8-2, 3-2 NESCAC) took an advantage in doubles play, winning two of the three matches. Caroline Garrido and Maggie Dorr earned an 8-3 victory in the #2 match over the Cardinals' Sophie Henderson and Nika Vesely, while the pair of Madeline Suk and Zoe Kava got the win in the #3 match 8-4 over Katie Fleischman and Venia Yeung. Wesleyan's Caitlyn Ferrante and Sasha Gaeth won the #1 match 8-6 over Tufts' Elle Christensen and Tilly Rigby.
The Cardinals (11-0, 6-0 NESCAC) earned their victory in singles play, winning four of the six singles matches. After dropping the first set of the #1 match 6-2, Rigby won consecutive sets 6-3, 7-5 against Ferrante (ranked 20th nationally) to earn the victory there. Wesleyan won both the #2 and #3 matches, as Vesely defeated Kava 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in the #2 match and Fleischman got the 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win over Tufts' Nicki Frankel in third singles. The #3 decision for Wesleyan was the one that broke a 4-4 tie and gave the hosts the 5-4 win.
Casey Cummings (pictured) earned a strong 6-4, 6-3 victory for the Jumbos in the #4 singles match over Yeung, but it was Wesleyan that got the best of Tufts in the #5 and #6 matches. Serim Jin defeated Suk in fifth singles 6-2, 6-2 while Kristina Yu won the #6 match over Dorr 6-4, 6-4.
The Jumbos will host #15 Bowdoin College next on Saturday, April 16 in another NESCAC matchup starting at 2 pm.
Written by Tim O'Brien, Athletic Communications Intern
