Finke Clinches at No. 6 Singles in Third-set Tiebreaker
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Yale women's tennis team and its Harvard counterpart produced a classic installment in their storied rivalry on Friday, as the Bulldogs overcame the Crimson 4-3 on the latter's home turf. In a back-and-forth battle between these two talented squads, Yale bounced back from an early deficit to earn yet another signature victory. Freshman Carol Finke provided the heroics by clinching the match in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 6 singles.
With the win, Yale improves its overall season record to 9-9, but they have won six of their last eight matches, indicating a rich vein of form as of late. The victory also launches the Bulldogs into a two-way tie with No. 35 Dartmouth for third place in the 2015 Ivy League standings. With No. 46 Columbia's upset of No. 40 Princeton on Friday, the Ivy League title still remains up for grabs with one or two matches remaining for all teams.
Harvard raced to an early lead by claiming wins at the top two doubles spots. But once the match transitioned to singles play, the Bulldogs pulled ahead with straight-set wins by senior captain Hanna Yu and junior Ree Ree Li at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, respectively. Yu won her match with the loss of only three games, and Li powered her way to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Annika Ringblom. The Crimson leveled the score at two points apiece when Ellen Jang-Milsten completed her win over junior Courtney Amos at No. 5 singles.
The three remaining matches all went the distance, creating a tense atmosphere on Harvard's home courts. The Bulldogs gained the lead once more when junior Madeleine Hamilton fended off a comeback from Monica Lin to post a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory at the No. 2 position, but the Crimson again equalized when June Lee narrowly bested sophomore Sherry Li 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 at No. 5 singles.
At No. 6 singles, Finke and her opponent, Amanda Lin, had split sets and ended up in a third-set tiebreaker to decide what had already been a scintillating match between the two teams. When it mattered most, Finke was unstoppable and ultimately notched the win of her rookie season by a final score of 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4).
Assistant coach Matej Zlatkovic lauded the team's performance, saying, "This was another thrilling and exciting match. The team fought hard and showed true Bulldog character in the key moments. We executed well under pressure. I am very proud of these players."
Full results from Friday's match against Harvard can be found below.
Yale will look to carry its positive momentum into its next match on Sunday against No. 35 Dartmouth. The two teams are currently tied for third place in the Ivy League standings with 3-2 Ivy records. This will be the Bulldogs' final home match of the season.
Report by Robert Batista '15, Yale Sports Publicity
Doubles
Monica Lin/Annika Ringblom (Harvard) def. Madeleine Hamilton/Ree Ree Li (Yale), 8-6
Amy He/Ellen Jang-Milsten (Harvard) def. Valerie Shklover/Hanna Yu (Yale), 8-1
June Lee/Amanda Lin (Harvard) vs. Carol Finke/Sherry Li (Yale), 7-3, unfinished
Singles
Hanna Yu (Yale) def. Nikki Kallenberg (Harvard), 6-0, 6-3
Madeleine Hamilton (Yale) def. Monica Lin (Harvard), 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
Ree Ree Li (Yale) def. Annika Ringblom (Harvard), 6-4, 6-4
June Lee (Harvard) def. Sherry Li (Yale), 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-5
Ellen Jang-Milsten (Harvard) def. Courtney Amos (Yale), 6-0, 6-4
Carol Finke (Yale) def. Amanda Lin (Harvard), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4)
