'M' women repair doubles dilemma

By Joe Smith

Daily Sports Writer

After coming within one win of number 200 a few weeks ago, Michigan women's tennis coach Bitsy Ritt probably thought the milestone victory would never come.

Despite starting off 4-0, the Wolverines dropped three straight matches, including two against visiting Big Ten foes Northwestern and Illinois on Feb. 25-26.

Apparently a trip out West was what the doctor ordered, as the Wolverines (0-2 Big Ten, 5-3 overall) notched Ritt's 200th career victory and ended their three-match slide by defeating San Diego State 6-3 this past Friday.

This match was played in the typical nonconference format - the six singles being played first, followed by the three doubles matches. This contrasts with the regular conference format, which has the three doubles playing first, followed by the six singles matches.

After Brooke Hart lost at No. 1 singles for only the fourth time in her last 12 matches, the Wolverines then won the next three contests at the two, three and four spots to take an early 3-1 advantage.

At No. 2 singles, Danielle Lund captured her 72nd career victory, pulling within one win of No. 6 on the Wolverines' all-time list. She is 3-1 in singles since returning from abdominal injury a few weeks ago.

Junior Szandra Fuzesi returned from a groin injury that kept her from competing against Illinois, and won in straight-set fashion at No. 3 singles.

Freshman Joanne Musgrove followed suit by continuing her impressive rookie season with a tight three-set victory at the No. 4 spot. Musgrove's 12 victories thus far (12-6) places her second on the team, right behind Hart, who has 14.

But the Aztecs did not give up, winning the final two singles matches in three sets, tying up the dual match 3-3 going into doubles.

This proposed a problem for the Wolverines, for their doubles combinations have struggled of late. After starting off 11-4 in doubles this season, the tandems then went 1-5 in their next two home battles with Northwestern and Illinois. This included an unusually unsuccessful 0-2 showing by senior co-captains Lund and Brooke Hart, who have peaked at a national No. 10 ranking in their career together.

Also, injuries to junior Jen Vaughn and senior Erryn Weggenman forced Ritt to make massive changes to the doubles lineup.

The Lund-Hart combination was split up, and junior Alison Sinclair made her season debut at doubles, teaming up with Musgrove at No. 3 doubles.

But the resilient Wolverines swept the doubles competition in three tightly contested matches to give Ritt her 200th victory. Hart and Jen Duprez teamed up for a 9-8 victory at No. 1 doubles, and the combos of Lund-Fuzesi and Sinclair-Musgrove each pulled out 9-7 triumphs in the eight-game doubles contests.

Michigan will not compete again until March 17, when it takes on No. 18 Tennessee.

"We have a few weeks now to hopefully get healthy, because it is really going to be important that we are all ready to go for the rest of the Big Ten season," Fuzesi said.

KIMITSU YOGACHI/Daily

Jen Duprez helped the Michigan women's tennis team chase down San Diego State this past Friday.