NEW YORK – The 57^th-ranked Columbia women's tennis team battled down the stretch to hold off Michigan State, 4-2 on Sunday inside the Philip and Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center.
 
Columbia improves to 7-4 overall this season after a weekend of wins against Memphis and Michigan State.

Columbia found success in doubles play early Sunday by winning the two and three doubles matches to take an early lead over the Spartans. The duo of Amber Yin and Sophia Wang posted a 6-0 victory over Amara Brahmbhatt and Issey Purser in the three spot. Sophia Strugnell and Gayathri Krishnan followed that up with a 6-2 win against Matilde Morais and Hanna Tsitavets in the two seed to secure the doubles point for the Lions.

Columbia carried its momentum over into singles action to quickly build up a 3-0 advantage as a team. Michigan State attempted to rally, but the Lions fended the Spartans off to post the 4-2 team victory.
 
Krishnan registered Columbia's first singles victory of the match as she defeated Ellie Blackford 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 to win in the No. 2 singles. Malak El Allami followed with a strong performance in the top singles match as she took a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Liisa Vehvilainen to give Columbia a 3-0 advantage in the team score.
 
Brahmbhatt and Purser narrowed the gap in the team score with wins in the three and six singles to put Michigan State on the scoreboard for the first time Sunday. The Spartans then battled back to force third sets in the four and five singles matches.
 
With the attention focused on the four and five matches, Yin forced a pivotal break that allowed her to defeat Morais, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3 in the No. 4 spot to clinch the Columbia team victory.
 
RESULTS
#57 Columbia 4, Michigan State 2
 
Singles
1. Malak El Allami (CU) def. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) 6-1, 7-5
2. Gayathri Krishnan (CU) def. Ellie Blackford (MSU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-0
3. Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU) def. Fatima Keita (CU) 6-4, 7-5
4. Amber Yin (CU) def. Matilde Morais (MSU) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3
5. Sophia Wang (CU) vs. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU) 7-5, 2-6, 3-4, unfinished
6. Issey Purser (MSU) def. Salma Farhat (CU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
 
Doubles
1. Fatima Keita/Malak El Allami (CU) vs. Liisa Vehvilainen/Ellie Blackford (MSU) 4-3, unfinished
2. Gayathri Krishnan/Sophia Strugnell (CU) def. Matilde Morais/Hanna Tsitavets (MSU) 6-2
3. Amber Yin/Sophia Wang (CU) def. Amara Brahmbhatt/Issey Purser (MSU) 6-0
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,1,3,6,4)
 
UP NEXT
Columbia is back in action at home on Friday, March 7 with a doubleheader against Wagner and Stony Brook. The doubleheader kicks off at 3 p.m. against Wagner with the match against Stony Brook to follow at 6:30 p.m.
 
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
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