HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's tennis team rolled to a 5-1 win against Washington College during the first round of the Centennial Conference Tournament. With the win inside the Lutnick Tennis Center, the Fords (10-7) advance to the semifinals of the Centennial Conference Tournament where they will take on top-seeded Johns Hopkins Saturday in an 3 p.m. start.
In the regular season meeting with the Shorewomen, a 5-4 Haverford win, the Fords used the momentum from a comeback in doubles to take a 2-1 lead. On Tuesday, the Fords needed no rally as the pairing of Jessica Liu and Clara Farrehi were 8-2 winners for the first team point of the day. That pairing is now 9-3 on the season.
Playing a rematch of the earlier comeback at No. 2 doubles, Jane Bary and Emily Shutman blanked their Shorewomen counterparts by an 8-0 score for the early 2-0 lead. Haverford's No. 2 duo is now 9-2 together this year. Haverford nearly made it a 3-0 edge as the No. 1 pairing of Greta Koch and Abby Payson were leading 5-4 before the Shorewomen came back for an 8-5 win in that position.
Haverford put itself on the brink of victory with a repeat win at No. 4 singles as Jane Bary notched her ninth win of the season following a 6-4, 6-2 victory. Koch then flipped a three-set defeat earlier in the season in her favor as she won 6-4, 7-5 in the second doubles match.
Rory Lewis clinched the match with a quick straight set win at No. 5 singles. Taking the court after the No. 4 match had finished, Lewis allowed to just one game to her opponent during a 6-1, 6-0 victory for his sixth win of the season.
The Fords were also up 4-0 at No. 6 singles when the match reached decision as Liu had taken a commanding lead at that position. Shutman and Payson were also locked in three-set matches. Shutman was trailing just 3-2 after rebounding for a 6-4 win during her second set. Payson was tied at three-all in her third set after forcing the decisive set with a convincing 6-1 victory in the second.
Women's tennis will be making its seventh appearance in the conference semifinals during the past nine seasons on Saturday. The Fords were topped by Johns Hopkins, 8-1, when these teams met during the regular season.