For the fourth time this season, every player and coach on both teams lined up on the adjoining court to watch Dina Hegab. She came into the match 1-2 in such situations. Serving at match point in the third set, Hegab sent a sliced second serve which didn’t trouble Notre Dame’s Zoe Taylor. Three deep forehands by the SU senior moved Taylor around the court, and Hegab finished the point with a crosscourt forehand.

Masha Tritou reached Hegab first. The two seniors embraced in a hug while Hegab waited to shake hands with her opponent. The rest of the team soon followed to congratulate the Egyptian.

Hegab delivered her sixth match-clinching singles win of the season as No. 25 Syracuse (8-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) won its fourth straight match on Sunday at Notre Dame (8-3, 2-1). SU dropped its first two ACC contests but bounced back in two away duals this weekend, starting with a 6-1 win on Friday against Louisville.  

Still missing freshman Sonya Treshcheva, the Orange paired Masha Tritou with Treshcheva’s regular partner, Sofya Golubovskaya. The two were shut out at second doubles. SU’s two other pairs had no trouble winning their matches, though.

At first doubles, Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez grabbed a 6-3 win over Cameron Corse and Bess Waldram. Corse is ranked No. 44 nationally in doubles, but with partner Zoe Spence, who moved down to second doubles on Sunday. Guzal Yusupova and Hegab also cruised, winning 6-2.

Last weekend, Ramirez said the Orange wanted to attack the net more in doubles. It’s worked so far, and Syracuse has won its last four doubles points to rebound from five-straight doubles’ losses.

Notre Dame grabbed a point back through Brooke Broda, who defeated Libi Mesh in straight sets, breaking the SU senior’s three-match win streak. But before that, Syracuse had a pair of straight sets victories of its own. Golubovskaya made her singles return after missing the last three matches and took the first set 6-0. A closer second frame ended in a tiebreak, which the Russian sophomore took 7-2.

Knutson at first singles edged her first set 7-5 before taking the second comfortably, 6-1. She took sole possession of second place on the all-time Syracuse wins list last weekend and followed it up with two wins to start SU’s road trip. She’s now won six straight singles matches dating back to Feb. 8 in the ITA Indoor Championships.

Syracuse had a 3-1 lead with Yusupova and Ramirez also up one set. Yusupova’s second set went into a tiebreak, and she was serving at 6-6. A few shots into the rally, her forehand crashed into the net. The next point, another Yusupova forehand fell in the same spot. The tiebreak was lost, and the SU junior would have to play a third set to secure an Orange victory.  

Playing next to Yusupova, Ramirez dropped her second set 7-5. She never recovered, losing the third frame 6-2 and giving Notre Dame a second point. Similarly, Yusupova struggled in the third set and fell 6-3. The match was squared at three points apiece, and the match participants shifted to watch Hegab and Taylor on court 6. Hegab won the first set 7-6 (7-2), then dropped the second 3-6. She jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third frame, eventually closing it out 6-3.  

The Orange continue their four-game road trip on Sunday at No. 31 Georgia Tech.

Published on February 24, 2019 at 3:40 pm

Contact Arabdho: armajumd@syr.edu | @aromajumder