Rutgers Tennis Triumphs Over Minnesota in a Hard-Fought Victory
In a thrilling afternoon in Piscataway, the Rutgers tennis team (8-6, 1-3 B1G) secured a significant 4-2 victory over Minnesota (10-9, 0-5 B1G). This marks only the second time the Scarlet Knights have bested the Gophers, with their previous win dating back to April 2024.
Doubles Dominance
The match kicked off with Rutgers grabbing the crucial doubles point. Naomi Karki and Stella Schmitz showcased their synergy on the final court, delivering a commanding 6-1 win.
This victory marks their second consecutive Big Ten doubles win, bringing their spring record to 2-2. Meanwhile, the duo of Karina Jumazhanova and Zeynep Ilker clinched a 6-3 victory on the second court, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Singles Showdown
The Scarlet Knights carried their momentum into singles play, securing three more points to clinch the match. Savannah Cohen continued her impressive form with a straight-sets win, 6-4, 6-1, on the final court, improving her dual play record to 8-3.
Zeynep Ilker followed with a solid 6-2, 6-4 win on court No. 3, paving the way for Mai Nguyen. Nguyen battled through a challenging match on the first court, ultimately prevailing 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 to seal the victory.
Match Results
Doubles:
- Mai Nguyen / Zuzanna Frankowska (RU) vs.
Nora Knezevic/Arina Valitova (MINN) 4-5, unfinished
- Karina Jumazhanova / Zeynep Ilker (RU) def.
Anlin Xie/Mia Liepert (MINN) 6-3
- Stella Schmitz / Naomi Karki (RU) def.
Jeselle Ante/Yinong Ma (MINN) 6-1
Singles:
- Mai Nguyen (RU) def.
Jeselle Ante (MINN) 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3
- Zuzanna Frankowska (RU) vs.
Mia Liepert (MINN) 6-7 (8), 6-2, 3-1, unfinished
- Ava Schmitz (MINN) def.
Karina Jumazhanova (RU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-0
- Zeynep Ilker (RU) def.
Sofia Pinto (MINN) 6-2, 6-4
- Anlin Xie (MINN) def.
Stella Schmitz (RU) 6-2, 6-1
- Savannah Cohen (RU) def.
Nora Knezevic (MINN) 6-4, 6-1
What’s Next?
The Scarlet Knights are set to host No. 22 Wisconsin on Sunday, March 22 at 12 p.m. With momentum on their side, Rutgers will be looking to build on this victory and continue their upward trajectory in the Big Ten standings.