Blue Tennis Downs RPI For First Victory of the Season, 6-3

LATHAM, N.Y. -- Sophomore Michaela Markwart (Hanover, Mass.) rallied for a three-set victory in the top singles match to help Wellesley College tennis clinch the team's first victory of the season, 6-3, over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Sunday at the Tri-City Fitness courts. 

Markwart dropped the first set of her match with No. 49 nationally-ranked Alex Mednikova (Belle Mead, N.J.), 7-6, and was trailing 5-2 in the second set, before rallying for a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 victory that also clinched the fifth point for the Blue (1-2 overall) in the match. Markwart and partner Michelle Shen (Dallas, Texas) also helped earn one of two Wellesley wins in doubles with an 8-3 victory over Sanjana Surapeneni (Katy, Texas) and Brenda Peng (Warren, N.J.) at No. 2. 

The Blue split the remaining doubles matches, with Lily Chu (Princeton, N.J.) and Cinji Lee (Seoul, South Korea) defeating Chloe Barr (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Elly Klages (Chandler, Ariz.), 8-3 at No. 3. Selina Peng (Taichung, Taiwan) and Libby Chang (San Marino, Calif.) dropped an 8-2 final to RPI's (2-2 overall) Rani Jones (New Market, Md.) and Mednikova at No. 1 

The Blue had a 2-1 lead entering singles, but Jones quickly downed Chang, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 2 singles to even the team score. Shen rallied the Blue at No. 3, defeating Surapeneni, 6-3, 6-2. Dana Feng (Irvine, Calif.) followed with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Nitya Subramaniam at No. 5 that put the Blue ahead, 4-2.

At No. 4, Barr outlasted Peng, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, to pull RPI within one. However, the Blue clinched the final two matches to take the victory and the 6-3 final. Markwart rallied to clinch the fifth Blue win and Lee rallied from deficit in the second and third set to clinch the win at No. 6. Lee dropped the opening set to Tess Lubin (Wilmette, Ill.) and was trailing 5-3 in the second and 5-4 in the third but battled to a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, victory to close out the match. 

Wellesley returns home to host a pair of matches next weekend. The Blue will welcome Bates on Saturday, March 7, at 12:00 PM and Brandeis on Sunday, March 8, at 2:00 PM. RPI will play Case Western Reserve in Clermont, Calif. in its next match on March 11. 

RESULTS:

DOUBLES

1.       Alex Mednikova / Rani Jones (RPI) def. Selina Peng / Libby Chang: 8-2

2.       Michaela Markwart / Michelle Shen (WES) def. Brenda Peng / Sanjana Surapaneni: 8-3

3.       Lily Chu / Cinji Lee (WES) def. Chloe Barr / Ellly Klages: 8-3

SINGLES

1.       Markwart (WES) def. Mednikova: 6-7, 7-5, 6-3

2.       Jones (RPI) def. Chang: 6-1, 6-1

3.       Shen (WES) def. Surapaneni: 6-2, 6-3

4.       Barr (RPI) def. Peng: 5-6, 6-1, 6-4

5.       Dana Feng (WES) def. Nitya Subramaniam: 6-3, 6-1

6.       Lee (WES) def. Tess Rubin: 4-6, 7-5, 7-5

FINAL SCORE: 6-3 Wellesley

ORDER OF FINISH: 1, 3, 2 … 2, 3, 5, 4, 1, 6