Tennis

Virginia Tech edges Syracuse, 4-3

Courtesy of SU Athletics

Gabriela Knutson lost 6-4, 6-2 in SU's 4-3 loss to VT.

Syracuse (7-11, 4-7 Atlantic Coast) dropped the doubles point and the match to Virginia Tech (10-10, 3-8), 4-3, on Thursday afternoon in Blacksburg.

The first doubles match concluded with Syracuse’s Miranda Ramirez and Gabriela Knutson defeating No. 52 Caroline Daxhelet and Francesca Fusinato of VT, 6-1.

The Hokies won second and third doubles. In third doubles, Shene Disbergen and Sansitha Nandakumar beat the Orange’s Nicole Mitchell and Maria Tritou, 6-4. A second doubles win clinched the doubles point for VT, with Elena Cerezo-Codina and Natalie Novotna defeating Syracuse’s Anna Shkudun and Dina Hegab, 7-6 (7-3).

Virginia Tech carried the momentum into singles, as the first three matches to finish all went the Hokies’ way. Tritou fell at fourth singles, 1-6, 1-6, to Daxhelet of VT. Then, No. 95 Novotna defeated SU’s No. 80 Knutson, 6-4, 6-2. To clinch the match, Virginia Tech’s Cerezo-Codina won her third singles match over SU’s Shkudun, 6-0, 6-1.

After VT clinched, SU avoided being blanked on the scoreboard. Hegab won her fifth singles match over Nandakumar, 6-3, 6-1. No. 94 Ramirez won in a battle of ranked players, defeating No. 96 Fusinato, 6-3, 6-3. At sixth singles, Libi Mesh of SU defeated VT’s Katherine Butler, 6-4, 6-1.



Knutson’s singles loss came after defeating then-No. 14 Sinead Lohan on Sunday. Syracuse was coming off an upset of then-No. 42 Miami (FL).

The Orange returns home for its Senior Day on Saturday at 11 a.m. against No. 14 Duke.





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