After a Multi-Loss Weekend, Syracuse Tennis Should Feel Confident
By Drew Albaugh | @Drew_Albaugh
Coming into last Friday’s match against No. 3 North Carolina, Syracuse was a perfect 7-0, with a chance to beat both UNC and No. 10 Duke for the first time in school history. Although the scoring didn’t go SU’s way, losing 4-0 to the Tar Heels and 4-1 to the Blue Devils, the matches were much closer than they may have seemed, showing promising signs for the rest of the season.
Ahead of Syracuse’s match with North Carolina, the Orange had the odds stacked against them. Not only had SU lost all 14 prior matchups between the two sides, but the Orange had zero players in the top 100 according to the ITF, while UNC had four, including two in the top 15. However, instead of looking up at North Carolina as an unbeatable opponent, the Orange stuck to their philosophy.
“We always play the ball, never the ranking. That’s what we did today,” Syracuse head coach Younes Limam said.
That mindset, which has been echoed throughout the season regardless of the opponent, helped Syracuse early on. In doubles play, SU’s Monika Wojcik and Serafima Shastova knocked off UNC’s No. 34 duo of Reese Brantmeier and Carson Tanguilig. But that wasn’t even the most surprising doubles victory of the weekend. Against Duke, the newly formed pair of Nelly Knezkova and Miyuka Kimoto defeated the No. 11 duo of Ellie Coleman and Emma Jackson, marking SU’s highest-ranked doubles win of the season. Limam’s outlook on tough opponents is clearly shared by Knezkova.
“It doesn’t matter who is on the other side. As long as you communicate with your partner, have a positive mindset, and just enjoy the game, you can really do amazing things,” Knezkova said.
Both doubles wins were followed by Orange losses, ultimately costing them the doubles point, but the competitive fight from every player should be encouraging, especially against weaker ACC opponents in the future. That determination carried into singles play, none better exemplified than by Miyuka Kimoto. Against Duke, the senior was set up for a tough matchup against No. 8 Cameron Morra but once again focused on the ball, not the ranking, and secured a 2-0 set sweep. It was SU’s first win over a top-10 opponent since its upset of No. 3 NC State last March. However, for Limam, Kimoto’s win on Sunday was no surprise.
“We know we have great players that can do great things,” Limam said.
Kimoto wasn’t the only standout. Serafima Shastova was up 6-5 in the second set, poised to win the match, before play was halted when Duke secured the decisive fourth point. While the match did not finish, Shastova’s performance—against last year’s ACC Freshman of the Year—showed how pivotal she can be when everything clicks.
Perhaps the most pivotal player for the Orange is sophomore Nelly Knezkova. The Hawaii transfer pushed Liv Hovde to three sets before play was halted. Though she didn’t secure the win, taking Hovde to three sets was an accomplishment in itself. Hovde, ranked No. 3 in the country, won the 2022 Wimbledon Junior Championship and is ranked just inside the top 300 in the world. Knezkova is currently unranked, but after going toe-to-toe with one of the best, that could change soon.
So, did the Orange lose 4-0 and 4-1 over the weekend? Yes. But those results show that this team’s ceiling is high—something the broader tennis world may not have realized yet. When asked if his team was underrated, Limam was clear.
“Time will tell. I’m not sure, but I know one thing for sure: we are a very good team. We have to stay healthy, and if we do, I like our matchup against any team in the country,” Limam said.
Syracuse’s first chance to prove it can compete with anyone comes Friday at 3 p.m. against Miami. Follow @Drew_Albaugh and @CitrusTVSports on X for game updates.
