The University of Louisville women’s tennis team pulled off an impressive upset against the No. 36-ranked Syracuse on Senior Day, securing a 4-3 win. The match ultimately came down to senior Rhea Verma at court two, who delivered the decisive victory for her team.
Head coach Mark Beckham expressed his satisfaction with the win, saying, “This conference is so brutal. To beat a nationally-ranked team on Senior Day, especially a team that’s probably going to be in the NCAA tournament, it felt like the best ending to it. I’m happy for the team. I’m really happy for Andrea, being her last match here and being a part of making sure we won the match. With Rhea, she’s been through adversity here as well. Her Senior Day, for her to be the one to actually clinch the match and win for us is a storybook ending. I’m happy for them and for them to have a win like that and to appreciate everything they have done.”
Louisville began the match on a high note, taking the doubles point. Syracuse, being short-handed, had to forfeit a win to the Cardinals. Verma, partnered with Andrea DiPalma, clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 victory over Viktoriya Kanapatskaya and Shiori Ito.
The Orange were forced to forfeit at No. 6 singles as well, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. However, Syracuse fought back, winning on the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 courts to take a 3-2 lead. DiPalma secured a win at No. 1 with a score of 6-3, 6-4, tying the match at three and leaving the fate of the game in Verma’s hands.
In an intense battle, Verma dropped the first set 6-4, then rallied back to win the second set 6-3 before ultimately gaining momentum and triumphing 6-1.
The Cardinals now look forward to the ACC Championship, where they will face Boston College at 12:30 PM on Wednesday, April 19, at the Cary Tennis Center in Cary, North Carolina.
Tennis Match Results
Syracuse vs Louisville Women’s Tennis
4/16/2023 at Louisville, Ky
(Bass-Rudd Tennis Center)
Louisville Women’s Tennis 4, #36 Syracuse 3
Singles competition
1. Andrea DiPalma (LOU) def. Kanapatskaya,Viktoriya (SYR) 6-3, 6-4
2. Rhea Verma (LOU) def. Kimoto,Miyuka (SYR) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
3. Kozyreva,Polina (SYR) def. Tyra Richardson (LOU) 6-0, 6-2
4. Fonte,Ines (SYR) def. Cici Xin (LOU) 6-0, 6-3
5. Ito,Shiori (SYR) def. Sasha Gorchanyuk (LOU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Arielle Nealy (LOU) def. No player (SYR), by forfeit
Doubles competition
1. Andrea DiPalma/Rhea Verma (LOU) def. Kanapatskaya,Viktoriya/Ito,Shiori (SYR) 7-5
2. Kozyreva,Polina/Kimoto,Miyuka (SYR) def. Jamilah Snells/Cici Xin (LOU) 7-5
3. Sasha Gorchanyuk/Tyra Richardson (LOU) def. Fonte,Ines/No player (SYR), by forfeit
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,4,3,5,1,2)