Jan. 27, 2018
San Jose, Calif.----- Freshman Savannah Sendar won her first college singles women's tennis match for San Jose State University in the Spartans' 6-1 loss to #1-ranked Stanford at the Spartans Tennis Complex.
Playing #6-singles, Sendar defeated Kimberly Yee in straight sets, 7-6 (7-5 tiebreaker), 6-2. Yee was ranked the #1 under-12, under-14 and under-16 player in the country prior to enrolling at Stanford.
"It was absolutely amazing. I didn't expect it at all. When you win such a match after a hard fight, it's just amazing," said the Spartan newcomer from The Netherlands.
"She (Yee) played very offensive and I like that. That was an advantage for me. I served well and played aggressive myself. I like to be very aggressive and come up to the net sometimes."
Facing San Jose State for the first time in a dual match since 1988, Stanford took a 1-0 lead winning a pair of doubles matches by identical 6-1 scores at #2 and #3 doubles. The Spartans' #1-doubles pair of Sybille Gauvain and Miyo Kobayashi was ahead, 4-3, over Emily Arbuthnott and Michaela Gordon, ranked #3 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, when the matched was suspended by the Cardinal's two doubles victories.
Gauvain at #1-singles and Tamara Culbirk at #2-singles each won four games in one set of their straight-set losses to #13-ranked Gordon and Arbuthnott, respectively.
"It's exciting to have the opportunity to play the #1-team. In doubles, we had some more opportunities to get some more games, especially at #2 where we had five game points to possibly go up, 2-0. I told them they have to believe they are going to get game points and to play with confidence. We saw that at times and we didn't see it at times," said San Jose State women's tennis coach Chad Skorupka about hosting a #1-team in the country for the first time.
"We played well in some positions and others, we struggled a little bit. What I mean by struggle is we made too many unforced errors from a neutral position, from the baseline where it wasn't forced on to us. I don't know if it was unforced errors or lack of confidence."
San Jose State returns to action, Friday, February 2 hosting Academy of Art in a 12:00 p.m. non-conference match.
San Jose State University women's tennis
Spartan Tennis Complex, San Jose, Calif.
January 27, 2018
| Final score: #1-Stanford (STAN) 6, San Jose State (SJSU) 1 |
| Doubles |
| Sybille Gauvain & Miyo Kobayashi (SJSU) vs. #3-Emily Aruthnott & Michaela Gordon (STAN), 4-3 suspended |
| Caroline Lampl & Kimberly Yee (STAN) def. Tamara Culibrk & Laura Malsert (SJSU), 6-1 |
| Emma Higuchi & Janice Shin (STAN) dewf. Clara Mantaux & Savannah Sendar (SJSU), 6-1 |
| Order of finish: 3, 2. |
| Singles |
| #13-Michaela Gordon (STAN) def. Sybille Gauvain (SJSU), 6-4, 6-1 |
| #22-Emily Arbuthnott (STAN) def. Tamara Culibrk (SJSU), 6-1, 6-4 |
| #63-Caroline Lempl (STAN) def. Miyo Kobayashi (SJSU), 6-1, 6-0 |
| Emma Higuchi (STAN) def. Laura Malsert (SJSU), 6-2, 6-1 |
| Janice Shin (STAN) def. Clara Mantaux (SJSU), 6-0, 6-1 |
| Savannah Sendar (SJSU) def. Kimberly Yee (STAN), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 |
| Order of finish: 5, 3, 4, 1, 2, 6 |
| Team records: |
| Stanford 1-0 |
| San Jose State 1-1 |