Hamilton Clinches with Third-set Comeback at No. 2 Singles

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale women's tennis team came out on top in a highly entertaining and competitive encounter against Cornell on Sunday.  Playing at their home courts, the Bulldogs bested Cornell 4-3 in a back-and-forth match, with junior Madeleine Hamilton securing the decisive point at No. 2 singles.

Despite the disappointment from having lost to No. 46 Columbia the previous day, the Bulldogs got off to a strong start when freshman Carol Finke and sophomore Sherry Li notched an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles.  It was Cornell, however, that gained the early lead with victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles.

Yale was not deterred by this setback, and fittingly it was senior captain Hanna Yu who gave the Bulldogs some momentum with an impressive 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Cornell's Dena Tanenbaum at No. 1 singles.  Sherry Li then produced her second win of the day, this time at No. 5 singles, to put Yale in the lead for the first time.  Cornell then appeared to be gaining the upper hand as Big Red players completed straight-set wins at No. 3 and No. 4 singles.  Yale had other ideas, though, as Finke finished her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jane Stewart at No. 6 singles to level the match at three points apiece and ensure that the marathon match at No. 2 singles would decide the outcome.

The No. 2 singles match pitted Hamilton against Alexandra D'Ascenzo.  The latter grabbed the first set in a tiebreaker, but Hamilton battled back to send the match to a deciding set.  D'Ascenzo regrouped to take a 5-3 lead in the third set, but Hamilton refused to back down and soared back to claim the set and another signature Yale victory.      

Full results from Sunday's match against Cornell can be found below.

Of Yale's second Ivy win, assistant coach Matej Zlatkovic said, "I am extremely proud of the players and the way we handled this match today.  They showed character, dedication and heart.  They showed the true spirit of what it means to be Yale Bulldogs."

With the win, Yale now sits in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Ivy League standings, alongside No. 37 Dartmouth and Brown.  The Bulldogs have two more Ancient Eight matches this coming weekend.  They will take on perennial rival No. 63 Harvard on Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT and then Dartmouth on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. EDT.

Report by Robert Batista '15, Yale Sports Publicity

Doubles

Alexandra D'Ascenzo/Dena Tanenbaum (Cornell) def. Madeleine Hamilton/Ree Ree Li (Yale), 8-2

Priyanka Shah/Lizzie Stewart (Cornell) def. Valerie Shklover/Hanna Yu (Yale), 8-5

Carol Finke/Sherry Li (Yale) def. Marika Cusick/Jane Stewart (Cornell), 8-5

Singles

Yu (Yale) def. Tanenbaum (Cornell), 6-0, 6-2

Hamilton (Yale) def. D'Ascenzo (Cornell), 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5

Cusick (Cornell) def. R. Li (Yale), 6-3, 6-2

L. Stewart (Cornell) def. Courtney Amos (Yale), 6-3, 6-4

S. Li (Yale) def. Shah (Cornell), 6-2, 6-2

Finke (Yale) def. J. Stewart (Cornell), 6-3, 6-3