May 2, 2010

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins women's tennis team blanked visiting Swarthmore, 5-0, in the title match of the 2010 Centennial Conference Championship to win its fourth straight title. The four straight titles match Franklin & Marshall, which won a record four straight Centennial titles from 1997-2000. The Blue Jays four titles are also just one shy of tying the conference record five titles held by both F&M and Swarthmore. Hopkins improves to 15-8 on the season, while Swarthmore ends its campaign at 12-5.

Hopkins opened the championship match by sweeping all three doubles, losing just five games in the process, en route to a 3-0 lead in the match. Sophomore Courtney Boger (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks East) and freshman Nandita Krishnan (Chennai, India/Sishya School) got things going with an 8-0 win at second over Luann Cignavitch and Kelsey Johnson. Senior Ellen Berlinghof (Dresher, PA/Upper Dublin) and freshman Candace Wu (Yorba Linda, CA/Valencia) followed with an 8-3 win at third over Rosie DuBrin and Alexis Hickman. Senior Anita Bhamidipati (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Egg Harbor Township) and sophomore Carolyn Warren (Boulder, CO/Fairview) closed out doubles with an 8-2 win over Emily Rosenblum and Rachel Wallwork at first.

In singles action, Wu quickly pushed Hopkins' lead in the match to 4-0 with a 6-0, 6-1 win at fifth over Stephanie Chia. Krishnan then closed out the match with a 6-0, 6-0 win at second over DuBrin. With the match already decided, the reamaining rematches were halted. The Blue Jays are now 3-1 all-time in the Centennial Conference Tournament against the Garnet, including a 3-0 record in the title match.

Hopkins earns the Centennial Conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament with the win and will learn its postseason fate on Monday, May 10 with the announcement of the NCAA bracket. Stay tuned to www.HopkinsSports.com for details on the Blue Jays' postseason plans.