Rutgers Tennis Defeats Cornell 4-0, Building Momentum for Big Ten Play

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The Rutgers women’s tennis team (7-6, 0-3 Big Ten) secured a 4-0 victory over Cornell (6-6, 0-0 Ivy League) on Monday morning, marking their first win against an Ivy League opponent at home since February 15, 2020, when they defeated Penn 4-3. Their last Ivy League win overall came against Cornell on February 17, 2024, also by a score of 4-3.

Ritchie Praises Team Performance

“That was a great team victory,” said head coach Hilary Ritchie . “Cornell never gave in and really forced us to earn those singles wins. For the matches that didn’t finish, those players were digging in to keep us alive. Zeynep did an excellent job to clinch the match in the third set. This is the momentum we needed heading into our home matches this weekend.”

Doubles Play Sets the Tone

Rutgers claimed the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. The duo of Mai Nguyen and Zuzanna Frankowska achieved a 6-3 victory on the top court, improving their spring record to 8-4. Stella Schmitz and Naomi Karki also contributed to securing the point with a 6-3 win in the third lineup spot.

Singles Competition Seals the Win

Zuzanna Frankowska quickly extended Rutgers’ lead to 2-0 with a straight-sets win at the No. 2 position (6-3, 6-1). Freshman Savannah Cohen continued her strong performance, earning her first Big Ten victory with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 win on the final court. Cohen currently leads the team with seven singles victories this spring.

With the match on the line, Zeynep Ilker delivered a clutch performance at the fourth spot, securing the win for Rutgers with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory.

Match Results

• Doubles
• Mai Nguyen / Zuzanna Frankowska (RU) def. Michelle Ryndin/Sage Loudon (CORN) 6-3
• Karina Jumazhanova / Zeynep Ilker (RU) vs. Victoria Zhao / Andrea Martinez (CORN) 4-4, unfinished
• Stella Schmitz / Naomi Karki (RU) def. Emma Baker / Dylan Gelber (CORN) 6-3
• Singles
• Mai Nguyen (RU) vs. Michelle Ryndin (CORN) 3-6, 6-2, 4-5, unfinished
• Zuzanna Frankowska (RU) def. Sage Loudon (CORN) 6-3, 6-1
• Karina Jumazhanova (RU) vs. Victoria Zhao (CORN) 6-3, 6-7 (3), 2-5, unfinished
• Zeynep Ilker (RU) def. Dylan Gelber (CORN) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
• Stella Schmitz (RU) vs. Andrea Martinez (CORN) 7-6, 2-6, 2- unfinished
• Savannah Cohen (RU) def. Emma Baker (CORN) 6-3, 6-0

Looking Ahead

Rutgers will continue its home stand, hosting Minnesota in its Big Ten home opener on Saturday, March 21 at 12 p.m.

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