CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Senior
Marika Cusick rallied for a three-set victory from the No. 1 singles position to clinch the women's tennis team's 4-2 victory over defending Ivy League champion Princeton on Sunday in the ECAC Indoor Championships at the Murr Center.
With the win over the tournament's top seed, fourth-seeded Cornell (3-3) avenged a loss to the Tigers on the final day of the 2016 season that led to Princeton's celebration of a league title at the Big Red's home facility.
Junior
Priyanka Shah and sophomore
Mariko Iinuma won their match at No. 2 doubles, but Princeton (4-4) won the other two doubles matches to secure the day's opening point. Cornell then dominated singles play to record just its third victory all-time in 39 matches against the Tigers.
Junior
Lizzie Stewart got the Big Red on the board with a straight-sets win at No. 4, then Princeton regained the lead with its lone singles victory at the No. 5 position. Shah won in a second-set tiebreaker to knot the score at 2, then senior
Alexandra D'Ascenzo staved off her opponent in the second set to win at No. 2 and give Cornell a 3-2 lead.
The two remaining matches went to a third set, where Cornell took a stranglehold in both tilts. Cusick wrapped up her match first, though junior
Madison Stevens was also ahead 4-1 in the third set of her match at No. 6.
Cornell is next in action Monday, Feb. 20 when it plays a doubleheader in Fayetteville, Ark. against the host Razorbacks and Wichita State.
CORNELL 4, PRINCETON 2
Singles
1.
Marika Cusick (C) def. Katrine Steffensen, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
2.
Alexandra D'Ascenzo (C) def. Sivan Krems, 6-4, 6-4
3.
Priyanka Shah (C) def. Caroline Joyce, 6-1, 7-6(7)
4.
Lizzie Stewart (C) def. Tiffany Chen, 7-5, 6-2
5. Nicole Kalhorn (P) def.
Mariko Iinuma, 6-4, 6-4
6.
Madison Stevens (C) vs. Clare McKee, DNF (7-6, 2-6, 4-1)
Doubles
1. Joyce/ Kalhorn (P) def. Cusick/D'Ascenzo, 6-2
2. Iinuma/Shah (C) def. Krems/Steffensen, 6-2
3. McKee/Gaby Pollner (P) def. Stevens/Stewart, 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3), Singles (4,5,3,2,1)
