Williamstown, Mass. – Rookie Haley Cohen (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Laurel Springs) had a huge upset win in singles play at the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament at Williams College.
The NEWITT's format has teammates play together in doubles and then split up and face off against those same opponents in individual singles matches. In the A Draw, Cohen joined forces with Senior Carley Cooke (San Diego, Calif. / Point Loma) at No. 1 and took on the No. 1 pairing from the home team, featuring seniors Maria Pylypiv and the highly touted Rebecca Curran of Williams College. The Judges made a strong push in doubles play but eventually fell, 8-6, giving the duo from Williams a 1-0 lead. In singles play, Cooke drew Pylypiv, and Cohen was matched up against Curran. Pylypiv defeated Cooke in straight sets but Cohen had better luck in her matchup. The rookie knocked off the usually dominant Curran, 6-0, 4-6, 10-4. The Judges' duo ultimately lost here 2-1 in overall matches in the NEWITT format.
In the B Draw, senior Simone Vandroff (Moss Beach, Calif. / Half Moon Bay) and rookie Danielle Simms (Chattanooga, Tenn. / Girls Preparatory School) lost their first matchup to a duo from Amherst but bounced back in the consolation matchup against the No. 2 pairing from Wheaton, defeating them 3-0. The Judges cruised in doubles play, 8-1, before splitting up for their respective singles matches. Vandroff defeated Izzy Gorham in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, while Simms followed suit with her straight-set victory over Caroline DiNicola-Fawley, 6-3, 6-1. Vandroff and Simms' next matchup was suspended due to rain.
Dylan Schlesinger (Miami, Fla. / Palmetto) and junior Sarita Biswas (Bedford, Mass. / Bedford) lost their initial matchup in the C Draw to a duo from Mount Holyoke College. In the consolation tournament they dominated the No. 1 group from Salve Regina, sweeping them 3-0 in tournament play. Schlesinger and Biswas won 8-1 in doubles play and then both won in straight sets in singles action. Biswas had no problem with Emma Gruber, defeating her 6-1, 6-0, while Schlesinger also handled her opponent, Taylor Amendola, 6-4, 6-0, in singles play. Rain suspended these Judges' next matchup as well.