Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
NCAA Individual Championships
Mosolova Uses Three Sets to March On in College Station
5/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 21, 2009
Live Stats
Updated NCAA Singles Bracket
Updated NCAA Doubles Bracket
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- For the second day in a row, Northwestern's Maria Mosolova persevered through a three-set match at the NCAA Singles Championships in College Station, Texas. Top-seeded Mosolova bested No. 35 Noemie Scharle of Florida State, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, on Thursday to earn a spot in the tournament's round of 16.
"I've never played (Scharle) before, just like I never played the girl I played yesterday," Mosolova said. "It's fun to play someone new and I think it was a great three-set match. I figured out some of the things I have to work on. I just tried to stay composed and make her play, make her run, and just out-work her."
Northwestern saw one of its doubles teams tripped up in the first round of the doubles championship as Mosolova and Keri Robison lost 7-5, 7-5 to 19th-ranked Michaela Kissell and Laura Vallverdu of Miami (Fla.). Lauren Lui and Georgia Rose came through in their opening match, however, knocking off Fresno State's Melanie Gloria and Tinesta Rowe, 7-6 (6), 6-4.
Mosolova (35-7) dropped her opening service game of her singles match despite coming back from down 0-40 to send it to deuce. From then on she was almost untouchable in her first-set service games, losing only one point in winning her next three serve games. But Scharle would not surrender a break and went on to take the first set 6-3.
The NU sophomore stepped up her aggressiveness in the second set, making Scharle move on the baseline while giving away very few points, and notched an important break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Scharle closed within 4-3 thanks only to a pair of misses by Mosolova on attempted winners. After holds by both players, Mosolova successfully served out the set when Scharle sent a volley into the net, setting up a deciding third set.
Scharle gained a 3-1 break advantage in the final set when a pair of unlucky shots by Mosolova clipped the tape in her service game. But Mosolova put the bad breaks behind her and won three straight games, coming from behind in the seventh game to gain a 4-3 edge entering her next chance to serve. Up an Ad point, Mosolova worked Scharle laterally on the baseline before the Seminole sent a return into the net, giving Mosolova a 5-3 edge.
Scharle did not quit, however, and held serve to pull within 5-4 before taking a 0-40 lead on Mosolova in the next game. She eventually closed it out to even the match at five, but Mosolova took over from there. Serving with a 6-5 lead, Mosolova trailed 15-40 before reeling off four consecutive points to end the match, which lasted just under three hours.
Friday, Mosolova will face Duke's 30th-ranked Reka Zsilinszka in the round of 16.
Mosolova faced a quick turnaround for her doubles match with Robison, which was a back-and-forth contest until a pivotal 11th game with the score tied at five. The Hurricanes were able to pick up a break before holding in their service game to take the first set 7-5.
The 'Cats began the second set by sweeping through Robison's service game without losing a point. Miami later went up a break at 3-1 before NU pulled even at three thanks to a volley winner at the net by Mosolova. Northwestern soon tied the score again, this time at four on a blistering backhand down the middle by Robison and a double fault by Kissell.
Robison again swept through her service game as the Wildcats went ahead, but Miami cleaned up their game and surged ahead at 6-5. Two textbook drop shots by Vallverdu at the net helped Miami secure the second set 7-5 to earn a trip to the tournament's second round.
Mosolova and Robison end their impressive doubles season with an overall mark of 25-5, a run that included a 17-match winning streak from March 1 to May 18.
It was a successful end to the evening for Lui and Rose, who came up huge in a first-set tiebreaker against Tinesta Rowe and Melanie Gloria after relinquishing a 5-2 lead to the Bulldogs earlier in the match. Fresno State took a 5-4 lead in the breaker with an aggressive play at the net by Rowe. Northwestern was able to respond and take a 7-6 lead before a well-placed lob to the baseline by Lui was returned into the net by the Bulldogs, giving NU a one-set lead.
Northwestern broke Fresno's serve in the first game of the second set and carried that advantage throughout, going up 5-3 after a well-played service game by Rose. In the clinching game, NU won an important point on another lob to the baseline by Lui that was contested by the Bulldogs but ultimately ruled in favor of the 'Cats. NU sealed the match on the ensuing point and earned a trip to the next round where they will face Carolina Escomilla and Caroline Lilley of Kentucky. The two teams met just two weeks ago in an NCAA Regional match in Evanston, with Lui and Rose winning a hard-fought 8-4 decision.
NCAA Singles/Doubles Championships
Thursday Results
#1 Maria Mosolova (NU) def. #35 Noemi Scharle (FSU), 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
#19 Kissell/Vallverdu (MIA) def. #29 Mosolova/Robison (NU), 7-5, 7-5
#24 Lui/Rose (NU) def. #15 Gloria/Rowe (FRESNO), 7-6 (4), 6-4
Friday Schedule
#1 Maria Mosolova (NU) vs. #30 Reka Zsilinszka (DUKE), 1:30 p.m.
#24 Lui/Rose (NU) vs. Escomilla/Lilley (KENTUCKY), 3 p.m.
