The Syracuse tennis team’s singles play was nothing to marvel at during the fall exhibition season.

Realizing the importance of singles in having a successful spring season, coach Mac Gifford spent the bulk of the off-season trying to get his team’s singles play in top form.

‘We work on our singles, and we’re going to be tough,’ Gifford said in the fall. ‘We’re going to be really tough.’

If the singles play at last night’s home opener against Colgate is any indication of what’s to come, the Orangewomen could surprise a few opponents this season. Syracuse beat the Raiders, 6-1, losing only one singles match and one doubles match.

‘I will not say that we had our ‘A’ game today,’ Gifford said, ‘but we certainly did what we needed to do to win.’

Syracuse’s doubles pair of Masha Kabanova and Shervin Saedinia defeated Colgate’s Lauren Erikson and Sheila Rao, 8-2, and the Orangewomen’s Trine Lise Juliussen and Kristine Bech Holte defeated Emily Wenink and Marissa Alikpala, 8-6, clinching the doubles point.

With the doubles point already theirs, the Orangewomen clinched the win early in the night with three swift victories. Holte routed Lindsay Suffredini (6-0, 6-2), Juliussen defeated Rao (6-3, 6-2) and Wei-Ming Leong beat Jessica Fede (6-2, 6-3), as Syracuse earned the four points it needed to win the match.

‘Trine and Kristine just came out big for us,’ Gifford said.

‘It was (just) our first match of the year,’ Kabanova said, ‘but we’re pretty excited.’

The victories kept coming for Syracuse, as Kaluskova beat Erikson (6-2, 6-3), and Saedinia won her match over Jamie Maldow (4-6, 6-3 (7)) in the third-set tiebreaker.

The night was not all victories for the Orangewomen, though, as the Raiders managed one doubles and one singles win. Kaluskova and Leong lost to Suffredini and Maldow, 8-4, and Kabanova lost to Alikpala (6-3, 6-7 (5)) in the third-set tiebreaker.

Shots kept landing in the doubles alley for Kabanova, who was visibly frustrated for much of the match.

‘This isn’t doubles!’ Kabanova repeatedly screamed.

Syracuse was surprised at how much the Raiders improved since the Orangewomen beat them last year.

“Of the Colgate teams we’ve played in the past, this team is well-coached,” Gifford said. “They played some great doubles.’

‘If I remember last year, Colgate wasn’t that good (then),’ Kaluskova said. ‘It’s always better than starting with a loss.’

Published on January 29, 2003 at 12:00 pm