WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

W TENNIS: Northwestern Too Much For Heels

Feb 22, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — CHAPEL HILL --- No. 12 Sanaz Marand scored her first career victory over a top-5 opponent, but No. 2 Northwestern was too much, as the Wildcats dealt No. 5 North Carolina a 5-2 loss Friday afternoon at the Cone-Kenfield Indoor Tennis Center. The loss to Northwestern was the third straight for the Tar Heels (6-4), who have played five top-10 opponents in a row, including the Wildcats twice in two weeks.

UNC picked up the doubles point with wins by Marand and Katrina Tsang at No. 1 and Austin Smith and Sophie Grabiniski at No. 3. Marand and Tsang, playing together for the first time at Carolina, beat No. 10 Lauren Liu and Samantha Murray, 8-1. After Northwestern grabbed its own 8-1 win at No. 2, it was left to the players at No. 3 to decide it. Smith and Grabinski broke Nazlie Ghazal and Maria Mosolova at 3-all and eventually held on for an 8-6 victory.

Northwestern more than made up the difference in sigles play, as the Wildcats won the opening set in five of the six singles matches. No. 25 Murray quickly evened the score with a 6-0, 6-0 win over No. 76 Smith.

Marand briefly put Carolina back in front with a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 3 Georgia Rose at No. 2. The victory, which improved Marand to a perfect 9-0 in dual matches, was the Katy, Texas, sophomore's first career win over a top-10 opponent and her 13th of the season against a ranked foe.

No. 42 Liu made it 2-2 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Laura Reichert at No. 4 before No. 5 Mosolova finished off No. 28 Tsang at No. 1 just moments later to put the Wildcats back in front.

Both remaining matches were closely contested, but Northwestern prevailed in each to close out the 5-2 win. Suzie Matzenauer topped Grabinski, 7-6 (5), 6-2, at No. 6 to clinch the match, and No. 69 Ghazal outlasted Fanjoy at No. 5, 6-3, 6-4.

Next up for UNC is a rematch of last year's NCAA Sweet Sixteen, as the Tar Heels host No. 15 Notre Dame Sunday at noon.

DOUBLES
1. Marand/Tsang (UNC) def. #10 Liu/Murray (NU), 8-1 2. Conill/Rose (NU) def. Fanjoy/Recihert (UNC), 8-1 3. Smith/Grabinski (UNC) def. Ghazal/Mosolova (NU), 8-6 Order of finish: 1,2,3

SINGLES
1. #5 Maria Mosolova (NU) def. #28 Katrina Tsang (UNC), 6-2, 6-1 2. #12 Sanaz Marand (UNC) def. #3 Georgia Rose (NU), 6-4, 6-1 3. #25 Samantha Murray (NU) def. #76 Austin Smith, 6-0, 6-0 4. #42 Lauren Liu (NU) def. Laura Reichert (UNC), 6-4, 6-2 5. #69 Nazlie Ghazal (NU) def. Meg Fanjoy, 6-3, 6-4 6. Suzie Matzenauer (NU) def. Sophie Grabinski (UNC), 7-6 (5), 6-2 Order of finish: 3,2,4,1,6*,5