For the second day in a row, Dina Hegab was in the spotlight late in the afternoon in Oxford, Mississippi. Hegab cruised through the first set at fifth singles, 6-1, but dropped the second 4-6 to Purdue’s Alex Sabe.

As the other courts came to a close, the Orange were deadlocked with the Boilermakers, 3-3, and the Egyptian senior had bounced back in the third, gaining a 5-2 cushion. Sabe mounted a comeback attempt, winning two games in a row, but Hegab closed out the match, 6-4.

After upsetting No. 9 Michigan on Saturday, No. 24 Syracuse (4-0) edged out Purdue (3-1), 4-3, on Sunday in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend championship match. The Orange started slow, dropping two of the three doubles matches, but showed off their added depth in singles to book a spot in next month’s ITA National Team Indoor Championship.

“We always talk about how numbers don’t really matter,” Hegab said last week. “We just need to get our job done in whatever spot we play.”

Purdue took the doubles point with ease and handed top-pair Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez their first loss of the semester. But Sofya Golubovskaya soon tied the score. The No. 92 singles player breezed by Ena Babic in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.

Purdue grabbed the lead back at sixth singles. Golubovskaya’s doubles partner, freshman Sofya Treshcheva, lost in two sets 6-3, 6-2, to Caitlin Calkins. Trescheva had a disappointing weekend after starting the season with two wins. Her match Saturday against No. 9 Michigan went unfinished, with her trailing 5-4 in the third set when it was called.

Guzal Yusupova and Knutson both won their first sets, but SU waited a while for its second point. Yusupova was rolled in the second set, 6-1, and trailed 5-0 at one point. Knutson, facing the No. 19 singles player in the nation, lost a close tiebreak, 7-5.

The Orange found their second point in a comeback victory by Miranda Ramirez in third singles. She traded 6-4 sets with Seira Shimizu. Ramirez then locked down in the third set, never giving Shimizu a look and closing out the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Yusupova followed soon after to give Syracuse its first lead of the afternoon. The Washington State transfer bounced back from her disappointing second set, controlling the third and earning a point for SU 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

Knutson had a chance to clinch the SU win, but she allowed Purdue’s Silvia Ambrosio to complete her rally, losing 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. The loss didn’t matter, though, as Hegab once again came up clutch. Hegab is now 4-0 in singles this season, anchoring down the Orange at fifth singles.

“Dina’s grown tremendously since she’s been here,” associate head coach Shelley George said last week. “… She leads by example and her teammates look up to her and count on her.”

Published on January 27, 2019 at 7:36 pm

Contact Arabdho: armajumd@syr.edu | @aromajumder