ORLANDO, Fla. – The Haverford College women's tennis team battled in a tightly contested match at the USTA National Campus, but ultimately fell just short in a 4-3 setback against North Central (Illinois) on Sunday afternoon to open the spring break stint in Central Florida.
The Fords (1-1) found themselves in an early hole after North Central (9-5) swept the doubles competition. At No. 1 doubles, the duo of Lucy King and Rachael Fitzgerald dropped a 6-2 decision to Abigail Penados and Natalie Bassett. The Cardinals then clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 victory at No. 3, where Meghan McSweeney and Kate Herlihy edged out Caroline Gay and Erika Phanord. In the final doubles match, Kensington Payne and Liveta Ezerskis secured a 6-3 win over Mallika Reddy and Abhishree Menon, giving North Central a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
North Central extended its lead quickly into singles as Penados delivered a straightforward 6-2, 6-0 win over Fitzgerald at top flight singles. McSweeney followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Gay at No. 6, putting the Cardinals within one match victory of clinching.
The Cardinals wasted no time building an early lead, as Penados cruised past Fitzgerald 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. McSweeney followed with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Gay at No. 6, putting the Cardinals on the brink of clinching.
The decisive moment came at No. 2 singles, where Bassett secured the fourth and final point for North Central. After splitting sets with King, she dominated the match tiebreak, winning 6-2, 1-6, 10-4 to clinch the victory before Haverford could complete its comeback bid.
Despite the outcome already decided, the Fords battled on. Reddy was the first to strike, securing a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Payne at No. 3. Phanord followed with a comeback effort at No. 4, rallying for a 4-6, 6-2, 10-6 win. Menon then wrapped up the match on a high note for Haverford, edging out a marathon 7-6 (12-10), 4-6, 10-6 victory at No. 5 to close the final score to 4-3.
Haverford will look to bounce back as it continues its spring break slate in the Orlando area. Haverford takes on No. 27 Grinnell at 8 a.m. in Altamonte Springs, Fla. tomorrow.
