NEW YORK, N.Y. -- If you aren't a tennis enthusiast, you might not realize how close a 6-1 tennis match really is, but at there was a time at the Cornell-Columbia women's match that it was anyone's victory.

“I am so proud of this team. Everyone fought like mad to win every point,” said head coach Ilene Weintraub. “We brought an energy to the bubble (Dick Savitt Tennis Center) that has been missing. It was the beginning of something great.”

The Lions nearly pulled off the doubles point after Carling Donovan and Natalia Christenson won at third doubles and Stephanie Zilberman and Lauren Shearer took the Cornell second doubles team of John and Miller to edge, before falling 9-7.

Cornell took a 2-0 lead as Tamara John defeated Sydney Murray at third singles, but the Lions got on the board with a win by Donovan at #4. The rest of the four matches went into the third set, before the final 6-1 margin.

Doubles Results

1. Chis/Googe (Cornell) def. Suda/Makarova, 8-3
2. John/Miller (Cornell) def. Zilberman/Shearer, 9-7
3. Donovan/Christenson (Columbia) def. Cruite/Dumitrescu, 8-5

Singles Results

1. Sinziana Chis (Cornell) def. Nina Suda, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
2. Elizabeth Googe (Cornell) def. Stephanie Zilberman, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
3. Tamara John (Cornell) def. Sydney Murray, 6-3, 7-5
4. Carling Donovan (Columbia) def. Dana Cruite, 6-4, 7-5
5. Ruxandra Dumitrescu (Cornell) def. Lauren Shearer, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
6. Melissa Orteza (Cornell) def. Natasha Makarova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3