Friday, February 8
New Haven, Conn.
5:00 PM
Columbia
4
at
2
Yale
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin
Lions Advance in ECAC With 4-2 Win Over Yale
2/8/2019 9:48:00 PM | Women's Tennis
No. 2 seed Columbia to face No. 6 Penn on Saturday at 5 p.m.; Lions win three straight singles matches to claim comeback win over host Yale.
NEW HAVEN, Conn.—No. 2 seed Columbia won three consecutive singles matches at the top of the lineup to claim a 4-2 comeback victory over Yale Friday evening during First Round ECAC Indoor Championship play at Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center. An updated championship bracket is listed at this link.
With the victory, Columbia advances to ECAC Championship Second Round play where it will face No. 6 seeded Penn in a semifinal on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Quakers defeated No. 3 seed Harvard 4-1 on Friday. The winner will advance to the ECAC Championship match on Sunday at 5 p.m. against the winner of No. 1 seed Princeton vs. No. 4 seed Brown.
Columbia (3-1) won its third straight match. After losing the doubles point and finding itself down 2-1, Columbia answered with three straight singles wins at the top of the lineup to claim the win. Trailing 2-1, sophomore Jennifer Kerr claimed a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles over Yale's Samantha Martinelli. Sophomore Christie Wan followed with a 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 3 singles over Yale's Raissa Lou. Then Columbia first-year Akanksha Bhan clinched the team victory with a 7-6, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles over Yale's Caroline Dunleavy.
"Yale played really well and the fact that we were able to step up and win four singles matches is a testament to this year's team's talent and ability," Columbia Head Coach Ilene Weintraub said. "We are looking forward to the semifinal versus a strong Penn team tomorrow."
Yale went up 1-0 as it took the doubles point with wins at No. 3 and No. 1 doubles. Yale's Caroline Amos and Kathy Wang defeated Columbia first-year duo of Melissa Sakar and Yekaterina Alferova 6-2 at No. 3 followed by a 6-3 Yale win at No. 1 doubles by Martinelli and Jessie Gong over Bhan and sophomore Paulina Ferrari.
After Columbia junior Andrea Kevakian evened the score with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles over Yale's Lauren Gillinov, Yale went up 2-1 when Kathy Wang defeated Columbia senior Sarah Hu 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. That set the stage for Columbia's three straight victories.
The ECAC Tournament bracket features all eight Ivy League teams, Columbia will play one match apiece on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All matches will be played at Yale's Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center with the Championship match taking place on Sunday.
Columbia is chasing its first ECAC Tournament Championship since it last won the title in 2016 when it defeated Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard in succession. It also won the title in 2014. Here is coverage of the 2016 ECAC title and here is coverage of 2014 ECAC title.
ECAC INDOOR WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Friday-Sunday, Feb. 8-10, 2019 | New Haven, Conn. | Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center
Friday's Results
No. 4 Brown 4, No. 5 Dartmouth 3
No. 1 Princeton 5, No. 8 Cornell 0
No. 6 Penn 4, No. 3 Harvard 1
No. 2 Columbia 4, No. 7 Yale 2
Saturday's Matchups
Dartmouth vs. Cornell, 8 a.m.
Yale vs. Harvard, 11 a.m.
Brown vs. Princeton, 2 p.m.
Columbia vs. Penn, 5 p.m.
Sunday's Matchups
7th & 8th Place Match, 8 a.m.
5th & 6th Place Match, 11 a.m.
3rd & 4th Place Match, 2 p.m.
Championship Match, 5 p.m
With the victory, Columbia advances to ECAC Championship Second Round play where it will face No. 6 seeded Penn in a semifinal on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Quakers defeated No. 3 seed Harvard 4-1 on Friday. The winner will advance to the ECAC Championship match on Sunday at 5 p.m. against the winner of No. 1 seed Princeton vs. No. 4 seed Brown.
Columbia (3-1) won its third straight match. After losing the doubles point and finding itself down 2-1, Columbia answered with three straight singles wins at the top of the lineup to claim the win. Trailing 2-1, sophomore Jennifer Kerr claimed a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles over Yale's Samantha Martinelli. Sophomore Christie Wan followed with a 6-3, 7-5 win at No. 3 singles over Yale's Raissa Lou. Then Columbia first-year Akanksha Bhan clinched the team victory with a 7-6, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles over Yale's Caroline Dunleavy.
"Yale played really well and the fact that we were able to step up and win four singles matches is a testament to this year's team's talent and ability," Columbia Head Coach Ilene Weintraub said. "We are looking forward to the semifinal versus a strong Penn team tomorrow."
Yale went up 1-0 as it took the doubles point with wins at No. 3 and No. 1 doubles. Yale's Caroline Amos and Kathy Wang defeated Columbia first-year duo of Melissa Sakar and Yekaterina Alferova 6-2 at No. 3 followed by a 6-3 Yale win at No. 1 doubles by Martinelli and Jessie Gong over Bhan and sophomore Paulina Ferrari.
After Columbia junior Andrea Kevakian evened the score with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles over Yale's Lauren Gillinov, Yale went up 2-1 when Kathy Wang defeated Columbia senior Sarah Hu 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. That set the stage for Columbia's three straight victories.
The ECAC Tournament bracket features all eight Ivy League teams, Columbia will play one match apiece on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All matches will be played at Yale's Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center with the Championship match taking place on Sunday.
Columbia is chasing its first ECAC Tournament Championship since it last won the title in 2016 when it defeated Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard in succession. It also won the title in 2014. Here is coverage of the 2016 ECAC title and here is coverage of 2014 ECAC title.
ECAC INDOOR WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Friday-Sunday, Feb. 8-10, 2019 | New Haven, Conn. | Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center
Friday's Results
No. 4 Brown 4, No. 5 Dartmouth 3
No. 1 Princeton 5, No. 8 Cornell 0
No. 6 Penn 4, No. 3 Harvard 1
No. 2 Columbia 4, No. 7 Yale 2
Saturday's Matchups
Dartmouth vs. Cornell, 8 a.m.
Yale vs. Harvard, 11 a.m.
Brown vs. Princeton, 2 p.m.
Columbia vs. Penn, 5 p.m.
Sunday's Matchups
7th & 8th Place Match, 8 a.m.
5th & 6th Place Match, 11 a.m.
3rd & 4th Place Match, 2 p.m.
Championship Match, 5 p.m
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Columbia Classics Shorts - Women's Tennis 2013 Ivy League Championship
Monday, April 12
