The Columbia women’s tennis team secured two significant wins over the weekend, defeating the University of Memphis and Michigan State University in thrilling home matches.
No. 62 Columbia (7-4) bounced back from two recent losses to claim a nail-biting 4-3 victory over Memphis (2-10) on Friday. The Lions then followed up with a solid win over Michigan State (8-3) on Sunday, with standout performances from first-year Amber Yin.
Friday’s Match: Memphis
Columbia fell behind early, losing the doubles point as the pair of Yin and Emily Baek lost 6-2, followed by a 6-4 defeat for Gayathri Krishnan and Sophia Strugnell. However, the Lions came back strong in singles play, winning five out of six first sets.
Krishnan bounced back from her doubles loss to give Columbia its first point with a straight-set win. Junior Sophia Wang followed with another straight-set victory to make it 2-1.
Yin won her first set 6-3 and clinched the match with a 7-2 victory in a tiebreaker, bringing the Lions to a 3-1 lead. The match was soon tied at 3-3 after losses by Baek and Strugnell, leaving the outcome up to Malak El Allami.
El Allami, the 2024 US Open girls’ doubles champion, split the first two sets before winning the decisive third set 6-4, giving Columbia the 4-3 win. Her teammates rushed onto the court to celebrate the dramatic victory.
Sunday’s Match: Michigan State
Columbia hosted Michigan State on Sunday, where they continued their strong play. In the doubles competition, Yin was paired with Wang instead of Baek, and the new duo won 6-0. Krishnan and Strugnell also bounced back from their Friday loss to win 6-2, securing the first point for the Lions.
Krishnan and El Allami extended the Lions’ lead with straight-set singles wins to make it 3-0. Although senior Fatima Keita and sophomore Salma Farhat lost their matches, Yin sealed the team’s win. After a 6-2 first-set victory, Yin lost the second set in a tiebreaker but clinched the match with a 6-3 win in the third set, giving Columbia a 4-2 victory.
Looking Ahead
Columbia (8-4) will return to action this Friday with a doubleheader at home, starting with Wagner College (2-6) at 3 p.m., followed by Stony Brook University (3-14) at 6:30 p.m.
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