'M' women's tennis pulls out upset as doubles teams falter

It's only one point. You wouldn't think it would be that important. But that one point cost the Michigan women's tennis team one Big Ten match this past weekend, and nearly cost them two.

The point in question is, of course, the doubles point. In Big Ten play, whichever team takes two of the three doubles matches heads into singles with a one-point advantage. The other team then needs to win four of the six singles matches to earn a team victory. Michigan was forced into this situation twice this weekend.

In six doubles matches this weekend, the Wolverines managed only one victory. Two of their five doubles losses came in tiebreaks, as did their one victory.

Michigan could not manage to come back from the one-point deficit yesterday against Iowa, and fell 4-3. Against Minnesota on Friday, the Wolverines did manage to rally, taking a 4-3 victory.

EMILY NATHAN/Daily Sora Moon and the Wolverines split this weekend, beating Minnesota and losing to Iowa.

Against the Hawkeyes, Michigan spent almost the whole day playing catch-up. The Wolverines dropped both the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles matches, with the No. 2 pairing of Sora Moon and Jen Boylan falling in a 9-7 tiebreak. At No. 3 doubles, Michigan's Tumeka Harris and Erryn Weggenman won a 9-7 tiebreak.

The doubles matches sent the Wolverines into the singles matches trailing 1-0. Michigan senior captain Sora Moon quickly evened the score at one point a piece with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Iowa's Megan Kearney at No. 5 singles.

The Hawkeyes took a 2-1 lead when Shera Weigler took out Harris in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0. But again Michigan tied the match when Erryn Weggenman won in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2.

With the score deadlocked at two points per team, Michigan sophomore Danielle Lund gave the Wolverines their first lead of the match as she outlasted Iowa's Emily Bampton in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The victory was Lund's 20th of the season.

Michigan only needed one of the two remaining flights to secure a victory. Sophomores Boylan and Brooke Hart each dropped the first sets of their matches, but rallied to force a third set.

At No. 6 singles, Boylan could not hold on, and fell 4-6 in the third set to tie the team score at three points each.

So the Wolverines needed a victory from Brooke Hart at No. 1 singles to finish the come from behind victory. Hart and Iowa's Natalya Dawaf battled back and forth in their final set, and the match went to a tiebreak. Hart could not hold on in the tiebreak, though, and Iowa stymied the Michigan comeback, securing a 4-3 match victory.

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