Spring Break
TENNIS: Women's pair gets third
by Ian Cutler
Sports Editor
Sports | 10/2/07
Posted online at 8:29 PM EST on 10/1/07
/ Last updated at 3:11 PM EST on 10/1/07
Rachel Rosman '11 and Colleen Donnelly '08, the women's tennis team's top doubles duo, may have benefited from a lucky break in order to even advance past the first stage of the Middlebury College doubles tournament last weekend, but they still performed admirably considering the circumstances.
Despite suffering a loss in round-robin play, Rosman and Donnelly advanced to the semifinal round after the doubles team which would have made it to that round withdrew from the tournament. In Sunday's semifinals, Rosman and Donnelly fell to Middlebury's pair of sophomore Jamie Haar and senior Claire Smyser before defeating another Middlebury team in the consolation match to finish in third place.
"This doubles tournament was crucial for us," coach Ben Lamanna said. "You always have to focus on doubles because they're such a huge part of the match."
The men's team's top three singles players-Simon Miller '11, Steven Nieman '11 and Scott Schulman '09-competed in the International Tennis Association New England Regional Championships at Williams College Friday and Saturday. Miller and Nieman each reached the second round of the tournament before bowing out, while Schulman lost in the first round.
On the women's side, Rosman and Donnelly finished in a three-way tie atop their pool, but it appeared that their tournament would end there, as they lost the tiebreaker to the duo of Sally Hughes and Michelle Cannon. But after Hughes and Cannon withdrew from the tournament, Rosman and Donnelly advanced to the semifinals. In that round, they were soundly defeated 6-1, 6-3 by Haar and Smyser, the eventual winners of the tournament. Rosman said the match was closer than the score indicated.
"The semifinal match was a really good match," she said. "We did all the things we wanted to. It really just came down to a few really tough points."
The pair rebounded in the consolation match, however, easily defeating Middlebury sophomore Annie Weinberg and Emily Holick, clinching a third-place finish.
Despite suffering a loss in round-robin play, Rosman and Donnelly advanced to the semifinal round after the doubles team which would have made it to that round withdrew from the tournament. In Sunday's semifinals, Rosman and Donnelly fell to Middlebury's pair of sophomore Jamie Haar and senior Claire Smyser before defeating another Middlebury team in the consolation match to finish in third place.
"This doubles tournament was crucial for us," coach Ben Lamanna said. "You always have to focus on doubles because they're such a huge part of the match."
The men's team's top three singles players-Simon Miller '11, Steven Nieman '11 and Scott Schulman '09-competed in the International Tennis Association New England Regional Championships at Williams College Friday and Saturday. Miller and Nieman each reached the second round of the tournament before bowing out, while Schulman lost in the first round.
On the women's side, Rosman and Donnelly finished in a three-way tie atop their pool, but it appeared that their tournament would end there, as they lost the tiebreaker to the duo of Sally Hughes and Michelle Cannon. But after Hughes and Cannon withdrew from the tournament, Rosman and Donnelly advanced to the semifinals. In that round, they were soundly defeated 6-1, 6-3 by Haar and Smyser, the eventual winners of the tournament. Rosman said the match was closer than the score indicated.
"The semifinal match was a really good match," she said. "We did all the things we wanted to. It really just came down to a few really tough points."
The pair rebounded in the consolation match, however, easily defeating Middlebury sophomore Annie Weinberg and Emily Holick, clinching a third-place finish.
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