Journalism is all about truth, so let’s keep it real. It has been a disappointing season for Syracuse women’s tennis. The Orange won just two ACC games. That marks the lowest win total in SU head coach Younes Limam’s 11-year tenure. But in the first round of the ACC Tournament, the script flipped as the ‘Cuse took down No. 17 seed Boston College 4-2 on Tuesday in Cary, North Carolina. The win marked SU’s first postseason victory since 2019 and sets up a second-round clash with No. 9 seed Clemson on Wednesday.
The doubles point, which SU hadn’t claimed in over a month, proved crucial. The Orange captured wins at No. 2 and No. 3, with the No. 1 duo of Sysoeva and Kimoto sealing the point on a mistimed BC return. It is SU’s first win at the No.1 spot since Feb. 23. Syracuse remains undefeated on the season when winning the opening point of the match.
After the hot start, Syracuse stumbled early in singles, dropping two of the first three matches. BC’s Benton took down Knezkova 6-4, 6-2, and BC’s Golwacka captured a victory over Shastova 6-4, 6-1 to even up the scoring at two apiece. However, the ‘Cuse quickly regained momentum. With steady baseline play and clutch net finishes, the Orange closed out the match with two consecutive singles victories, clinching the 4-2 win. No. 4 Sysoeva and No. 6 Wojcik were the players who got it done with a pair of three-set victories.
Syracuse next takes on No. 9 Clemson tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the second round of the ACC tournament. Follow @Drew_Albaugh on Twitter for live updates.
