SYRACUSE, N.Y.—The Columbia women's tennis team opened its spring 2019 season with a 5-2 loss at No. 24 Syracuse Sunday at Drumlins Country Club. Complete scores are posted at this link.
 
Syracuse took a 1-0 lead as it claimed the doubles point with two consecutive wins. Syracuse's Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez defeated Columbia sophomore Christie Wan and sophomore Jennifer Kerr 6-1 at No. 1 doubles and Dina Hegab and Guzal Yusopova teamed for a 6-1 win over first-years Melissa Sakar and Yekaterina Alferova.
 
Knutson gave Syracuse a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Columbia first-year Akanksha Bhan at No. 1 singles. Wan cut the Orange lead to 2-1 with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles over Syracuse's Ramirez.
 
But Syracuse followed with wins at No. 2 and No. 5 singles to clinch the team victory. Sofya Golubovskaya defeated Columbia's Kerr at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 and Hegab followed with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over senior Andrea Kevakian at No. 5 singles.
 
Sakar won a 5-7, 6-5, 7-6 (7-5) victory at No. 4 singles over Syracuse's Yusopova.
 
Columbia opens its home dual meet schedule when it hosts Rhode Island on Friday, January 25 at Dick Savitt Tennis Center. The match begins at 5 p.m. ET.