Monday, January 19
12:00 PM
Columbia University
7
vs
0
LIU
Women’s Tennis Blasts LIU in 2026 Opener
1/19/2026 3:01:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Columbia depth on display in sweep over Sharks
NEW YORK – The Columbia women's tennis team wasted little time seizing control of Monday's match against visiting LIU. The Lions quickly took the doubles point and won all six singles matches to defeat the Sharks 7-0 at the Philip & Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center to open the 2026 spring season.
"I was very proud of how we competed today," head coach Ilene Weintraub said. "We've been working a lot on finding our identity as players on the court, and I thought a lot of our athletes were able to implement their strengths and the patterns that work for them and set up a lot of opportunities for success."
Columbia (1-0) took control early with a strong showing in the doubles. At court one, Malak El Allami and Amber Yin did not surrender a game, defeating the duo of Emma Jane Barclay and Beatriz Verdial, 6-0.
The Lions secured the doubles point on court three when Emily Baek and Sophia Wang defeated Leena Kuittinen and Ksenia Reznitskaya 6-1. In the final doubles match, Gayathri Krishnan and Sabrina Lin were leading 3-2 when the match went unfinished.
In singles play, the two teams played out all six matches with Columbia sweeping the Sharks (0-1). Krishnan made it 2-0 in Columbia's favor after defeating Reznitskaya in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. Krishnan finished off the set and the match in an impressive display, smashing four consecutive aces for the win.
At court five, Amber Yin jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Verdial and did not let up, winning 6-1, 6-2 to make it 3-0 Columbia. El Allami clinched the match with a straight-sets win over Mia Tsoukalas, winning 6-3, 6-2.
After starting her match with a 2-0 advantage, Emily Baek rode that momentum to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Kuittinen. On court six, Michelle Li notched her first career singles dual victory with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Barclay. Wang closed out the match with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Paula Guillen Cerver. Wang broke serve to tie the second set at 4-4 and held on to win it.
Columbia returns to action on Saturday, January 24 when it takes on North Carolina in the opener of the ITA Kickoff in Chapel Hill, N.C. That match is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
RESULTS
Singles
1. Gayathri Krishnan (COL) def. Ksenia Reznitskaya (LIU), 6-1, 6-1
2. #107 Malak El Allami (COL) def. Mia Tsoukalas (LIU), 6-3, 6-2
3. Sophia Wang (COL) def. Paula Guillen Cerver (LIU), 6-2, 6-4
4. Emily Baek (COL) def. Leena Kuittinen (LIU), 6-1, 6-1
5. Amber Yin (COL) def. Beatriz Verdial (LIU), 6-1, 6-2
6. Michelle Li (COL) def. Emma Jane Barclay (LIU) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles
1. Malak El Allami/Amber Yin (COL) def. Emma Jane Barclay/Beatriz Verdial (LIU), 6-0
2. Gayathri Krishnan/Sabrina Lin (COL) vs. Mia Tsoukalas/Paula Guillen Cerver (LIU), 3-2 unfinished
3. Emily Baek/Sophia Wang (COL) def. Leena Kuittinen/Ksenia Reznitskaya (LIU), 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (1,5 2,4,6,3)
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Women's Tennis by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsWTEN), Instagram (@culionswten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
"I was very proud of how we competed today," head coach Ilene Weintraub said. "We've been working a lot on finding our identity as players on the court, and I thought a lot of our athletes were able to implement their strengths and the patterns that work for them and set up a lot of opportunities for success."
Columbia (1-0) took control early with a strong showing in the doubles. At court one, Malak El Allami and Amber Yin did not surrender a game, defeating the duo of Emma Jane Barclay and Beatriz Verdial, 6-0.
The Lions secured the doubles point on court three when Emily Baek and Sophia Wang defeated Leena Kuittinen and Ksenia Reznitskaya 6-1. In the final doubles match, Gayathri Krishnan and Sabrina Lin were leading 3-2 when the match went unfinished.
In singles play, the two teams played out all six matches with Columbia sweeping the Sharks (0-1). Krishnan made it 2-0 in Columbia's favor after defeating Reznitskaya in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. Krishnan finished off the set and the match in an impressive display, smashing four consecutive aces for the win.
At court five, Amber Yin jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Verdial and did not let up, winning 6-1, 6-2 to make it 3-0 Columbia. El Allami clinched the match with a straight-sets win over Mia Tsoukalas, winning 6-3, 6-2.
After starting her match with a 2-0 advantage, Emily Baek rode that momentum to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Kuittinen. On court six, Michelle Li notched her first career singles dual victory with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Barclay. Wang closed out the match with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Paula Guillen Cerver. Wang broke serve to tie the second set at 4-4 and held on to win it.
Columbia returns to action on Saturday, January 24 when it takes on North Carolina in the opener of the ITA Kickoff in Chapel Hill, N.C. That match is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
RESULTS
Singles
1. Gayathri Krishnan (COL) def. Ksenia Reznitskaya (LIU), 6-1, 6-1
2. #107 Malak El Allami (COL) def. Mia Tsoukalas (LIU), 6-3, 6-2
3. Sophia Wang (COL) def. Paula Guillen Cerver (LIU), 6-2, 6-4
4. Emily Baek (COL) def. Leena Kuittinen (LIU), 6-1, 6-1
5. Amber Yin (COL) def. Beatriz Verdial (LIU), 6-1, 6-2
6. Michelle Li (COL) def. Emma Jane Barclay (LIU) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles
1. Malak El Allami/Amber Yin (COL) def. Emma Jane Barclay/Beatriz Verdial (LIU), 6-0
2. Gayathri Krishnan/Sabrina Lin (COL) vs. Mia Tsoukalas/Paula Guillen Cerver (LIU), 3-2 unfinished
3. Emily Baek/Sophia Wang (COL) def. Leena Kuittinen/Ksenia Reznitskaya (LIU), 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (1,5 2,4,6,3)
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Women's Tennis by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsWTEN), Instagram (@culionswten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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