Strong Freshmen Play Marks Day One in Princeton

Friday, October 3

Princeton, N.J.

All Day

Duke University

Day One at Princeton Invitational

Strong Freshmen Play Marks Day One in Princeton

10/3/2014 9:46:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

PRINCETON, N.J. – Four members of the Duke women's tennis team opened competition at the Princeton Invitational Friday morning in Princeton, N.J., with doubles matches against Boston College and South Carolina and singles matches against Columbia and Princeton. The first day of competition was highlighted by the strong singles play of freshmen Samantha Harris and Rebecca Smaller, who combined for a near-perfect 3-1 mark.

Opening the day with doubles, both Duke tandems earned victories. Harris, teamed with senior Annie Mulholland, put in a dominant performance over Boston College's duo of Emily Safron and Katya Vasilyev, winning 8-1, while the pair of Smaller and redshirt senior Rachel Kahan outlasted South Carolina's team of Katie Fosnacht and Alex Martin, 8-6.

The momentum from the doubles wins carried over into singles play for Harris and Smaller. Harris, a product of Melbourne, Australia, defeated Columbia's 85th-ranked Kanika Vaidya, 7-5, 6-3, in her first singles match of the day before returning to the courts with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Princeton's Dorothy Tang. Smaller posted a 1-1 mark following a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Columbia's Adi Milstein and a 2-6, 6-2, (10-5) loss to Princeton's Caroline Joyce. Harris and Smaller improve to 5-1 and 2-4, respectively, on the season.

Seeing competition for the first time this fall, senior Annie Mulholland also concluded day one with a perfect 2-0 singles record. Mulholland kick started her day of singles play by outlasting Columbia's Alexandra Solovyev, 7-5, 6-7, 10-6. In her second singles match, Mulholland faced Princeton's Emily Hahn, winning convincingly, 6-3, 6-2.

Following her doubles win, Kahan split her two singles matches. The Unionville, Conn., native opened singles with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Columbia's Rima Asatrian, before falling in her second singles match of the day, 6-0, 6-0, against Princeton's Amanda Muliawan. With the split, Kahan now owns a 2-4 mark.

In addition to the four Blue Devils competing in Princeton, senior Ester Goldfeld also continued her play at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships. Participating in a first round main draw consolation bracket match, the 12th-ranked Goldfeld fell to 14th-ranked Brianna Morgan of Florida, 6-3, 6-1.

The Blue Devils resume competition in Princeton Saturday morning, beginning with doubles action against Columbia at 10 a.m. Singles matches will follow against Penn at 11 a.m.

#GoDuke

Princeton Invitational Schedule*

Saturday
10 a.m. - Columbia vs. South Carolina/Duke (Doubles)
11 a.m. - South Carolina/Duke vs. Penn (Singles)

Sunday
9 a.m. - South Carolina/Duke vs. Princeton (Doubles)
10 a.m. - South Carolina/Duke vs. Penn (Doubles)
11 a.m. - South Carolina/Duke vs. Boston College (Singles)

*Schedule is subject to change

Day One Results

Rachel Kahan/Rebecca Smaller (Duke) def. Katie Fosnacht/Alex Martin (S. Carolina), 8-6
Samantha Harris/Annie Mulholland (Duke) def. Emily Safron/Katya Vasilyev (BC), 8-1

Samantha Harris (Duke) def. (85) Kanika Vaidya (Columbia), 7-5, 6-3
Rachel Kahan (Duke) def. Rima Asatrian (Columbia), 6-1, 6-4
Annie Mulholland (Duke) def. Alexandra Solovyev (Columbia), 7-5, 6-7, (10-6)
Rebecca Smaller (Duke) def. Adi Milstein (Columbia), 6-1, 6-3

Amanda Muliawan (Princeton) def. Rachel Kahan (Duke), 6-0, 6-0
Samantha Harris (Duke) def. Dorothy Tang (Princeton), 6-3, 6-2
Caroline Joyce (Princeton) def. Rebecca Smaller (Duke), 2-6, 6-3, (10-5)
Annie Mulholland (Duke) def. Emily Hahn (Princeton), 6-3, 6-2