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Iowa Moves Deeper Into Tournament, Defeats Ohio State 4-2
April 27, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - No. 4 Iowa handed No. 5 Ohio State a 4-2 defeat in Friday's quarterfinal match up at the Baseline Tennis Center home to the 2007 Big Ten Championships. In a regular-season draw that saw the Hawkeyes shut out the Buckeyes 7-0, it took a little bit more to pull away with a victory today. The Buckeyes flirted with an early lead after Angela DiPastina and Christina Keesey clinched the doubles point, but Iowa found enough incentive to battle back and win four singles matches. In No. 2 doubles play, Buckeyes Caitlin O'Keefe and Sonia Ruzimovsky had already downed Merel Beelen and Hillary Mintz, 8-3, before DiPastina and Keesey secured the Buckeye point. The duo clinched after coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win the next seven games before closing out the match 8-6. Iowa won the first two singles matches starting with Mintz who avenged her doubles loss with a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3. She was followed by Veselinovic, who at No. 2, defeated Julie Blackmore 6-1, 6-3. The Buckeyes tied the score at 2-2 when O'Keefe defeated Iowa's Kayla Berry 6-4 in straight sets, but two hard fought wins at No. 1 and No. 4 proved to be the difference for Iowa. After having her No. 1 doubles match abandoned, All-Big Ten selection Jacqueline Lee made sure her match counted by staying in the moment to defeat Ally Mueller 7-6 (4), 6-4. Iowa clinched the deciding point on Beelen's three match play against Ruzimovsky (6-2, 2-6, 6-4) at No. 4. Iowa advances into Saturday's 10 a.m. semifinal match where it is set to face the top-seeded Wildcats.
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