NEW YORK - The Columbia women's tennis team opened its 2012 dual match season with a bang, with the Lions sweeping Hofstra, 7-0, winning doubles and all six singles matches without dropping a set. The match was a quick one, lasting only two hours. With the win, the Lions are now 1-0 on the season.
First-year Crystal Leung and junior Katarina Kovacevic opened the winning for Columbia in doubles, as they won quickly in the No.3 spot, 8-1. Sophomores Bianca Sanon and Tiana Takenaga clinched the doubles point minutes later, as they defeated Elena Ivanova and Brooke Sailer, 8-1 in the No.1 spot. And junior Nicole Bartnik and sophomore Ioana Alecsiu made it a sweep when they won in the No.2 spot, 8-3.
Singles followed a similar pattern with Kovacevic starting the dominos falling. The junior won in the No.4 spot, beating Bianca Derrick, 6-0, 6-0. Alecsiu was next, with a 6-0, 6-1 win in the No.2 singles spot over Sonia Tsay, and Bartnik clinched the team win with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Ivanova in the No.1 singles spot. Junior Chelsea Davis made it 5-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 win in the No.5 spot, and two first-years finished the sweep with their first dual match wins in Columbia Blue. Amy Li won at No.6, defeating Paige Polizois, 6-1, 6-0, and Leung finished it off with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No.3 over Hofstra's Malissa Gilanachi.
Up next for the Lions is a match against the University of Massachusetts, Saturday, February 4 at 1 p.m.
Columbia 7, Hofstra 0
Doubles
1. Bianca Sanon/Tiana Takenaga (COL) def. Elena Ivanova/Brooke Sailer (HOF) 8-1
2. Nicole Bartnik/Ioana Alecsiu (COL) def. Malissa Gilanachi/Sonia Tsay (HOF) 8-3
3. Crystal Leung/Katarina Kovacevic (COL) def. Paige Polizois/Bianca Derrick (HOF) 8-1
Order of Finish: 3, 1*, 2
Singles
1. Nicole Bartnik (COL) def. Elena Ivanova (HOF) 6-1, 6-2
2. Ioana Alecsiu (COL) def. Sonia Tsay (HOF) 6-0, 6-1
3. Crystal Leung (COL) def. Malissa Gilanachi (HOF) 6-2, 6-2
4. Katarina Kovacevic (COL) def. Bianca Derrick (HOF) 6-0, 6-0
5. Chelsea Davis (COL) def. Brooke Sailer (HOF) 6-1, 6-1
6. Amy Li (COL) def. Paige Polizois (HOF) 6-1, 6-0
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 1*, 5, 6, 3
