April 17, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - A decisive third set at No. 6 singles that went Minnesota's way allowed the Gophers to slip past the 34th-ranked Purdue women's tennis team, 4-3, outdoors Friday at the Baseline Tennis Center. For the second time in as many matches, the Boilermakers controlled the doubles competition, but the opposition rallied in singles to take the dual victory, bringing their record to 12-7, 5-5 B1G. Minnesota defeated Purdue for the first time at home since 2003 while improving its season mark to 16-8, 6-4 B1G.
The match at No. 6 saw Gopher Paula Rincon Otero and Boilermaker Deborah Suarez exchange 6-4 scores in the first and second sets. With the team score deadlocked at 3-3, the stage was set for a dramatic third set. Just as it had been in the first two stanzas, two games were the difference as Rincon Otero delivered Suarez a 7-5 setback while also collecting the upset for Minnesota.
Rincon Otero was one of two Gophers that prevailed in a third singles set, while two others notched straight-set victories. Minnesota took a 2-1 lead with straight-setters at Nos. 5 and 4. The hot play of Purdue's Krisztina Kapitany was stifled by Julia Courter, who dealt the junior her fourth loss, 6-2, 6-1. Aria Lambert followed with a 7-6 (4), 6-1 showing against Nicole Robinson.
Matching set scores of 7-5 lifted Lynda Xepoleas past Gopher Jessika Mozia in the middle of the lineup, knotting the score at 2-2. In the top spot, Purdue's Daniela Vidal jumped out in the opening set with Tereza Brichacova, 6-3, only to have her respond in the second with a 6-4 decision. Two games were once again the difference with Brichacova registering a 7-5 third set and put Minnesota up 3-2.
Old Gold & Black junior Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum pushed her spring record to 17-4 as she came out on top in the decisive set in the No. 2 contest versus Caroline Ryba, 6-3. Bernard-Feigenbaum opened the match with a 6-3 showing and Ryba responded with a 7-5 second set. Bernard-Feigenbaum's win tied the team score at 3-3, leaving the dual match resting on No. 6.
Purdue took an early edge thanks to its consistent doubles play. Natalia Davila and Xepoleas moved back to the No. 2 role as Bernard-Feigenbaum and Vidal returned at No. 1. Davila and Xepoleas improved to 9-4 side-by-side, disposing of Mozia and Courter, 8-4.
The Old Gold & Black duo of Kapitany and Robinson kept their spotless record intact with an 8-4 victory over Mehvish Safdar and Ryba. Kapitany and Robinson have delivered 10 straight wins for Purdue as the No. 3 tandem since getting paired together in mid-February. The junior/sophomore pair clinched the Boilermakers' 13th doubles point of the season.
The Purdue women's tennis team will return to the Schwartz Tennis Center for its regular-season home finale hosting Wisconsin Sunday. It will be the second of a Purdue tennis doubleheader as the men's tennis team takes on Michigan at 10 a.m. ET. Seniors Daniela Vidal and Lynda Xepoleas will be honored before first serves are tossed at 1 p.m.
MINNESOTA 4, No. 34 PURDUE 3
Doubles
1. Tereza Brichacova/Paula Rincon Otero (Minnesota) vs. No. 88 Daniela Vidal/Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (Purdue), 7-7 DNF
2. Natalia Davila/Lynda Xepoleas (Purdue) def. Jessika Mozia/Julia Courter (Minnesota), 8-5
3. Nicole Robinson/Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue) def. Caroline Ryba/Mehvish Safdar (Minnesota), 8-4
Order of finish: 2, 3
Singles
1. Tereza Brichacova (Minnesota) def. Daniela Vidal (Purdue), 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
2. Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (Purdue) def. Caroline Ryba (Minnesota), 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
3. Lynda Xepoleas (Purdue) def. Jessika Mozia (Minnesota), 7-5, 7-5
4. Aria Lambert (Minnesota) def. Nicole Robinson (Purdue), 7-6 (4), 6-1
5. Julia Courter (Minnesota) def. Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue), 6-2, 6-1
6. Paula Rincon Otero (Minnesota) def. Deborah Suarez (Purdue), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 1, 2, 6