The GCTA Supports Tennis

Ohio State Women's Tennis

OSU's current ranking: #49
Individual Rankings: #86 Sadhaf Pervez
Sadhaf Pervez named to All-Conference Big Ten Team.
Jackie Leskovar has been named the Big Ten Tennis Player of the Week.
OSU's current record: 12-11 Overall, 6-4 Big Ten Duals, 0-1 Big Ten Tournament
The Ohio State University Athletic Web Site
Ranked Big Ten Schools: #16 Northwestern, #25 Illinois, #26 Minnesota, #39 Purdue, #42 Michigan, #49 OSU, #63 Iowa, #67 Wisconsin
Click here for all rankings.
Meet the team in stats and photos.
Next Up:

5/15/03
Sadhaf Pervez named ITA Midwest Senior Player of the Year. Buckeyes claim the award for second-consecutive year.

Ohio State senior women's tennis player Sadhaf Pervez (Warren, N.J.) was named the Midwest Senior Player of the Year by the International Tennis Association. Last year, Ohio State's Monica Rincon won the award. Student-athletes from eight geographical regions were given the honor.

"It was a terrific turnaround for Sadhaf. I think without her leadership and her great year we wouldn't have made the NCAA tournament," OSU head coach Chuck Merzbacher said. "I am very proud of her and she's well deserving of the award."

Pervez, the lone senior on the Buckeye line up, finished her Ohio State career ranked No. 3 in career wins with 99 (No. 1 Kristy Dascoli 104, No. 2 Monica Rincon 101). Pervez racked up 27 wins in the 2002-03 campaign, which tied her effort last season and ranks No. 6 in single season wins in OSU history. Playing from the No. 1 spot, Pervez had a 17-5 record and earned All Big-Ten honors.

ITA Senior Player of the Year:

• East - Kavitha Krishnamurthy, Princeton
• Southeast - Vilmarie Castellvi, Tennessee
• South - Julia Scaringe, Florida
• Midwest - Sadhaf Pervez, Ohio State
• Central - Alicia Pillay, Tulsa
• Southwest - Ashley Hedberg, Texas A&M
• Northwest - Christina Fusano, California
• West - Adria Engel, Arizona State

5/10/03
Virginia has beaten the Bucks.

OSU lost the doubles point. Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville won on three, 8-5. The next two courts to come off couldn't get the point for OSU. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar lost on two, 2-8. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams were closer but still lost, 5-8.

Virginia took the match with wins on courts two, three, and four of the singles. Erica Fisk lost 1 and 2. Jackie Leskovar went down 2 and 2. Lindsay Williams lost 6-2, 6-1.

All other matches were suspended. Sadhaf Prevez had lost the first set. Emily DeCamilla had split sets. Lindsay Bryan was down in the second set.

5/1/03
The All-Conference Big Ten Team has been announced.
Sadhaf Pervez has been named to the All-Conference Team.
Former OSU players to earn All-Big Ten First Team honors include Kristy Dascoli (4 years), Monica Rincon (3 years), Kristen Jordan (1 year), and Abigail Villena (1 year).

4/30/03
The Bucks will play Virginia in Knoxville.

In addition to Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Purdue will represent the Big Ten in the tournament of 64 teams.

This is OSU's fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Bucks have participated in 6 NCAA Tournaments, all-time. Virginia has a record of 15-9 and is ranked 34. The host is No. 8-ranked Tennessee; they have a record of 20-6 and will play Murray State in their first-round match.

"This is great," Chuck Merzbacher, OSU head coach, said. "I'm really happy for our senior, Sadhaf (Pervez). Our team is continuing its excellence. This gives us something to build on. We have a great draw; we're a team that can go far if we put everything together."

4/27/03
At the Big Ten Championships in Urbana, Illinois: #2 seed Northwestern beat #1 seed Minnesota, 4-2.

4/26/03
At the Big Ten Championships in Urbana, Illinois: #1 Seed Minnesota beat Purdue, 4-2. #2 Seed Northwestern beat Illinois, 4-2. Minnesota will play Northwestern for the championship on Sunday.

4/25/03
Purdue has beaten Ohio State, 4-3.

OSU took the doubles point with wins by courts one and two. Sadhaf Pervez/Lindsay Williams and Erica Fisk/Jackie Leskovar won close sets. Lindsey Adams/Meaghan Colville lost a close match on 3.

The singles wins came from Sadhaf on one in a three setter and Lindsay Williams on four in straight sets. Erica Fisk lost on two in three. Jackie Leskovar lost 3 and 3 on three. Lindsay Bryan lost in three on five. Lindsey Adams lost in two on six.

University of Illinois hosts the Big Ten Championships.

Directions to University of Illinois:
Take I-70. Except for the trucks, it's not a bad stretch. Watch your speed as you get close to the Ohio-Indiana border. When you get to Indy, stay on I-70--do not take I-465 around. You will merge with I-65 South and shortly after that I-70 with break off to the right. After a while you will come to the "Airport Expressway." Exit onto that and shortly (not much more than a mile) you exit onto I-465 North. It will also say, "To I-74." You stay on I-465 for about 8 miles then you exit onto I-74. There will be fewer trucks and you can make good time. Watch your speed around Danville, Ill. Both Indiana and Illinois use unmarked cars. When you get to Urbana-Champaign, the easiest way to get to the university and the tennis courts is to use the "Lincoln Ave." exit. You will turn to the left at the top of the exit ramp. You travel south on Lincoln for a good while. The university will come up on your right. The cross-streets will start to have state names: Ohio, Michigan, etc.(probably not in that order). Watch for the 4-way stops. If you want to go to the courts at the Illini Grove (where OSU is playing its first match on Friday), turn right on Pennsylvania. The courts are about a block ahead of you. To get to the Atkins Tennis Center, continue south on Lincoln for a short way and turn right on Florida (this is a major intersection). You travel a short ways and Atkins will be on your left. It sits well off the road and they usually allow parking in the grass lot between it and the road.

4/20/03
The Hawkeyes have beaten the Bucks, 4-3.

OSU claimed the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. The teams of Sadhaf Pervez/Lindsay Williams and Erica Fisk/Jackie Leskovar won 8-5 matches. Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville went down 6-8. Still, OSU had the lead.

But the Bucks could get only two points from the singles. Lindsay Williams on four and Lindsay Bryan on six were winners. Sadhaf Pervez, Erica Fisk, and Jackie Leskovar lost on one, two, and three. Emily DeCamilla also lost on five.

4/19/03
The Golden Gophers have beaten the Buckeyes, 4-3

The Bucks won the doubles point, but it was not a sweep. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams, on court one, were first off with a 8-3 win. Second off were Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville, winning by a 8-3 margin. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar lost a close match on court two, 8-7 (5). The Bucks had a 1-0 lead in the match.

Ohio State was able to only get two of the singles matches. Jackie Leskovar won a three-setter on court three, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. Lindsay Bryan was a 7-5, 6-0 winner.

Lindsay Williams was first off, losing 1-6, 3-6. Erica Fisk was next off; she went down 5-7, 0-6. Emily DeCamilla lost on five, 6-7, 3-6. The Gophers took the team-match by winning court one. It was a three setter and very close, but Sadhaf Pervez lost, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6.

At 8-1, Minnesota can claim their first-ever Big Ten regular season championship tomorrow against Penn State. Minnesota finished 1-9 in the league last season.

4/13/03
The Bucks have upset the Wildcats, 4-3.
Erica Fisk called it yesterday when she said, "All our 4-3 matches will help when the pressure is on."
Lindsay Bryan was the last Buckeye on the court: 7-4 in a 3rd set tiebreak. OSU wins!

Lindsay Bryan

We all know stuff like, "It's not over till it's over;" or "Take it one point at a time;" and "Get one more ball back." Yes, these are overused and trite, but they were tried and true statements at the Stickney Center this afternoon. Jackie Leskovar on three and Lindsay Bryan on six fought off match point after match point. They took one point at a time away from what looked to be victorious Wildcats. Both went 3 sets and both won their matches in tiebreakers. Both hit more balls back than their opponents. This sent the disappointed and defeated #19 Northwestern less-than-"wild" Cats home.

The Buckeyes came into the match ranked #51. However, they were just off a win against Wisconsin where the singles were relied upon to get the match. A lot of confidence had to come from that. Perhaps also in the mix was the good showing that the Bucks had against #14 Kentucky this last Wednesday. Both those matches may have played more into the defeat of Northwestern than even the players realized. Jackie Leskovar had wins in both the Wisconsin and the Kentucky matches. Lindsay Bryan was the last player off against Wisconsin where she needed three sets to win her match. The team-match was determined by then, she could have let it go, but she played through the 3rd set and won. In the Kentucky match, she played a close 3-6, 4-6 match. She lost and the Buckeyes lost, but all that seems to have added to a feeling that they could get it done against Northwestern. And they did get it done. This was a really BIG win. And BIG wins come from a total team effort. The Bucks got that effort today.

The doubles point went to OSU when Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar won on two. Meaghan Colville and Lindsey Adams had already won on three. The point belonged to OSU. Court one doubles led early in their match but was not able to close. OSU has been so solid in their doubles throughout the season; the Wildcats may have sensed what was coming.

Northwestern's singles players fought to stop it.

Get one more ball back: Emily DeCamilla was the first to come off. On five, she lost the first set, 3-6. She seemed to gain some momentum in the second set. Her strokes seemed smoother, 6-3. The third set was just as close, but Emily was able to serve it out at 5-4. "I think it was a combination of keeping the ball deep with a lot of spin and serving well at the end that got me the match."

OSU 2, NU 0.

Northwestern battled back. Lindsey Williams played a close match on three but lost 3 and 5. The team-match stayed at 2-1 for a long while as the other courts battled. Sadhaf Pervez lost on one but not without a fight. The team-match was tied at 2-2. Finally, Erica Fisk lost in three sets on two.

Northwestern had the lead, 3-2.

Take it one point at a time: Jackie Leskovar played a flawless first set but lost the second set. "I was up 3-1 in the second but missed a couple of key points." After being down 2-0 in the third, she said to herself, "You've got to do it; this is the most important match of the year." It got to where she was down 5-3, but she felt there was still a chance. "I said to myself, 'Don't ever give up--you can do this.'" She got it to a tiebreak and won.

OSU 3, NU 3.

It's not over till it's over: Lindsay Bryan was down 40-15 with Northwestern serving at 5-4 in the third. Bryan fought back to take the game and then won it in the tiebreak. "Wow! I thought it was over when she had me 5-4. I knew all along that I could win, but she played a really good game at 4-all." Lindsay said she never doubted herself.

Coach Merzbacher: "This was a great college tennis match; every court was playing hard." He felt it was wonderful that they could send out a great win for the seniors. This is "a credit to the kids' passion and heart."
OSU 4, NU 3.

4/12/03
The Bucks have beaten Wisconsin, 6-1.
OSU lost the doubles point but came back to win six of six singles matches.

The Bucks have been a solid team when it comes to doubles. It was a bit of a surprise that they lost all three courts. There was no change in the lineup: Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams were on one, Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar played two, Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville were on three. This lineup has a 37-10 record for the season. They were outstanding against #14 Kentucky, taking all three courts. All of the players mentioned the "outside" factor and not playing in the "hut" (Jesse Owens West). One doubles was up 7-4 and let it slip. Erica Fisk expressed her surprise as well, "Our doubles is so solid; I have confidence in all three courts." It was close: 8-9, 5-8, 5-8, but the point went to Wisconsin

Singles was a different story. Five of the six matches were straight-set matches. Only Lindsay Bryan needed 3 sets to win.

Lindsay Williams was the first to finish; she played four and won, 6-2, 6-0. Lindsay commented, "I hadn't won a match in a month; now all of a sudden, I've won three in a row." She played with a lot of confidence today. "I won at Illinois and against Kentucky. I felt really good on the court today." Within minutes, Jackie Leskovar came off three with an identical 6-2, 6-0. Jackie said that the score was deceiving, "She's a really good player; I'm sure she had an off day." Talking about her own play, Jackie said, "I was a little disappointed with the doubles and had to step it up a little. I've been playing smart tennis, maybe not my best tennis, but I have been playing with a lot of confidence lately." On five, Emily DeCamilla had a similar score, 6-3, 6-1. On moving to outdoors, "It was more who could keep the ball in play and not make an error first. I think I did that today. I knew her backhand was weaker, so I tried to hit a lot of balls to that side." On one, Sadhaf Pervez was in control of her match, 6-2, 6-3. Sadhaf downplayed the outside factor, "You're not going to forget how to play outside." She explained that she felt good in the match today, "I think right now it's all the hours that I've put in--I've been putting in 5 to 6 hours of tennis everyday since September. It's not about the tennis anymore; it gets emotional." She talked about the Illinois and the Kentucky matches. She felt that the Kentucky match was a match where she let her mind go back to her loss at Illinois. "I wasn't there mentally; I was still disturbed by that 10-12 (super tiebreak used to determine the match) at Illinois." Sadhaf strongly believes she would have won that match if the set had been played out. It wasn't, because the team-match had been determined. But for her, "I let that affect me last match (against Kentucky) and I didn't want that to ruin my season--it's not over yet." If she had beaten the Illinois player, she feels she would be undefeated right now, 19-0. Sadhaf has her sites on the Northwestern match, "I got Grier tomorrow; she's #6 in the nation." You could tell by the way she said it, she's getting ready. And before she left, "Are you coming tomorrow?" She had her game face on. Number two Erica Fisk played a close first set but breezed from there, 6-4, 6-2. She admitted, "I wasn't so concerned about her (UW's McElroy), I've been struggling with myself lately. I've lost 5 matches in a row. They've been close and I could have won them. I hope this got me over the hump. At 4-all and down 40-15, I realized I needed to come into the net a little bit and she helped me a lot after that." Erica feels that the number of 4-3 matches will be to OSU's advantage regarding the pressure of playing Northwestern tomorrow. Lindsay Bryan came off last, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. "I didn't think that playing outside was a big factor since we got use to it on spring break. I tried to step up and hit my passing shots and take away the angles from her." Lindsay said she feels good about the Northwestern match, having played her expected opponent before.

Coach Merzbacher said, "When it's a nice day here, it is fun to play outside. It was a little tougher (being outdoors) for us in doubles but we got use to it in singles." He admitted that even with the results, that he is pretty proud of the doubles. He was also happy with the way the singles played. "Every one is on the same page going into tomorrow. We are fired up."

4/9/03
#14 Kentucky beat the Bucks, 4-3.

The match started with the Buckeyes sweeping the doubles. Court two doubles, Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar were the first ones off, 8-2. Court three followed; Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville won 8-6. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams finished the sweep, but it took a tiebreak, 9-8 (2). Buckeyes were up 1-0.

The Wildcats took four of six singles matches for the victory. However, the outcome was not clear till the final match was played.

Lindsay Williams would give the Bucks a 2-0 lead. She finished first with a 1 and 1 match. Sadhaf Pervez was the next to finish. She couldn't do her magic. A strong-serving and big-forehanded Wildcat beat her 4 and 2. OSU-2, Kentucky-1. Erica Fisk just didn't have enough to get the match on two. She lost 3-6, 5-7.

The match was tied at 2-2.

Jackie Leskovar put the Bucks ahead when she won the second set of her match in a tiebreak, 6-3, 7-6 (4). But that would be the end of the scoring for the Buckeyes. Emily DeCamilla lost 2 and 4. The last match being played was Lindsay Bryan. She lost 3 and 4.

4/6/03
The Illini have beaten OSU, 6-1.

OSU's lone point came from number 4 singles Lindsay Williams. She won in three sets.

Illinois took the doubles point. Meaghan Colville and Lindsey Adams won on three. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams lost on one, and Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar lost on two.

Pervez lost on court one of the singles. This is her first loss. Fisk lost at second singles. Leskovar went three sets but lost on three. Emily DeCamilla lost in three on five. Lindsay Bryan lost on six.

4/5/03
The Boilermakers have beaten the Buckeyes, 4-3.

The Bucks won the doubles point with wins by Sadhaf Perves/Lindsay Williams and Erica Fisk/ Jackie Leskovar. Meaghan Colville/Linsey Adams lost on three.

Sadhaf continued her winning ways with a 3 and 6 match on court one singles. Fisk lost on two, 2 and 4. Jackie Leskovar got OSU its third point, winning 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6). Williams, Emily DeCamilla, and Lindsay Bryan were straight-set losers.

3/30/03
The Buckeyes have beaten the Hoosiers, 5-2

OSU gave Coach Merzbacher his 100th win. They remain undefeated in the Big Ten.

The Bucks took the doubles point by winning all three matches. They also took 4 of the six singles matches. Erica Fisk lost a close 4 and 4 match. Lindsay Williams split 4 and 4 sets but lost the match tie-break. Sadhaf Pervez moved to 15-0, winning her match 2 and 0. Jackie Leskovar, Emily DeCamilla, and Lindsay Bryan were all winners.

3/29/03
The Fighting Irish have defeated the Buckeyes, 5-2

The lone points for OSU came at one singles and 4 singles. Sadhaf Pervez kept her streak alive in a straight-set match and is now 14-0 in dual matches. Sadhaf is ranked #53 and she upset #33 Caylan Leslie. (Note to Sadhaf: pass your book around.) Jackie Leskovar won a three setter, 7-6 (3) in the third. Pervez and Lindsay Williams won their doubles match, 8-6. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar were close, losing 8-9.

3/26/03
The Golden Knights have defeated the Buckeyes, 4-3.

The headlines on the University of Central Florida web site read: Women's Tennis Shocks Ohio State.

It was a close match, 3-4. Unfortunately, the Bucks came up with the 3 and not the 4.

The Golden Knights got it done at singles as OSU took two of the three doubles matches to secure the doubles point. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams won by a 8 to 2 margin. At two, Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar took the point with a 8-6 match. Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville lost 4-8.

Number 53 Pervez did her magic at one winning 6-1, 6-0. She remains undefeated in 13 matches. Meaghan Colville also came through with a win on six. She had a close first set but then breezed to a 4 and 0 win.

The Bucks played some close matches in the middle of the lineup but couldn't get it done. Erica Fisk went down 4 and 3. On four, Leskovar also lost in a close two set match, 4-6, 5-7. The final two matches were three setters with each going the distance. Williams was on three and won the first set in a tiebreak before losing two close sets, 3-6, 4-6. Emily DeCamilla strung it out but could not get it, 6-3, 0-6, 6-7 (9).

3/23/03
LSU has defeated OSU, 5-2.

"This was a big win for us," said LSU head coach Tony Minnis.

The Bucks couldn't do what they had done to this point: win the doubles. LSU took all three courts.

Sadhaf Pervez kept her winning streak going with a 6-2, 6-2 match. The only other Buckeye to win was Erica Fisk with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win. Lindsay Williams lost at three. Jackie Leskovar went down at four. Emily DeCamilla lost in three on five, and Meaghan Colville lost on six.

3/9/03
#47 OSU has defeated Virginia Tech by a score of 4-3.
The Buckeyes have won seven-of-nine 4-3 matches this season

The Bucks have won the doubles point in all 11 matches. No. 38 senior Sadhaf Pervez remained undefeated at No. 1 singles (11-0) and clinched the match for the third-consecutive time.

Ohio State earned the doubles point as it picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. At the one, the Buckeye duo of Lindsay Williams and Pervez defeated Carolyn Kramer and Ginger Lowdermilk, 8-6. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar won against the Virginia Tech tandem of Elissa Kinard and Kristen Stubbs, 8-6. Buckeyes Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville had their four-match win streak broken, falling to Felice Lam and Zdenka Videnova, 8-3.

With the doubles point taken, Ohio State extended its lead to 2-0 as Fisk defeated Kramer in a straight-set match, 6-1, 6-1. Virginia Tech got its first point with a victory at No. 3 where Lindsay Williams was defeated 2 and 4. Ohio State's Leskovar answered at No. 4 by topping Lowdermilk, 6-2, 6-4. Lindsey Adams lost at No. 6 in a three setter by a score of 1-6, 6-3, 2-6. The Bucks took the 4-2 lead and clinched the match with the win at No. 1 where Pervez remained undefeated. Sadhaf won her match 4 and 4. The Hokies won at 5 as Emily DeCamilla lost 5-7, 7-6, 0-1 (9).

3/8/03
# 47 OSU has defeated #63 Maryland, 4-3.
Another 4-3 match for the Buckeyes--another victory. Sadhaf Pervez extends her streak to 10 matches. Better check on what she has written in her book! (See below.)

As has been the case all season, OSU won the doubles point. Courts 2 and 3 were the winning courts today. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar teamed for a 8-3 win, and the point was sealed when Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville won their match, 8-4. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams had their 5-match doubles win streak stopped, 3-8.

The match went back and forth from that point. Lindsey Adams lost at 6 by a score of 4-6, 1-6 to even things at 1-1. OSU took the lead in the match at 2-1 when Lindsay Williams won a close 4 and 4 match. The Terrapins took the next two matches. Jackie Leskovar lost on 3 by a score of 2-6, 4-6. Emily DeCamilla stayed in at 5 but lost, 6-2, 4-6, 0-6. As has often been the case, Erica Fisk went three sets, this time winning 0-6, 6-0, 6-2. That made it 3-3. The match was won for OSU when Sadhaf Pervez won her match 6-4, 7-5.

Maryland is now 8-4 on the season.

3/2/03
The Buckeyes have beaten the Jayhawks.
The Bucks move to 7-2 on the season. Sadhaf Pervez is undefeated in 9 straight dual matches.

And for the ninth straight time this season, the Buckeyes started by taking the doubles point. The margin was 2-1 with the teams of Sadhaf Pervez/Lindsay Williams and Lindsey Adams/Meaghan Colville being the winners for OSU. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar dropped their match 4-8.

OSU then got the 3 singles points needed to win the match. Number 38 Pervez won on one. Williams won on four, and Emily DeCamilla won on five. Erica Fisk lost a long 3 set match on two. Leskovar and Adams lost straight-set matches on three and six.

This was the 7th time this season that a dual match would be a one-point decision. This time the 4-3 went in favor of the Buckeyes. In their two losses, it has gone against them.

3/1/03
Nebraska has beaten the Buckeyes, 4-3.
The Bucks are 6-2 on the season. Sadhaf Pervez remains undefeated in singles.

The Buckeyes began the match by securing the doubles point. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams were winners on court one, 8-4. At three, Lindsey Adams and Meaghan Colville were the other doubles winners. Their score was 8-4. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar lost 2-8.

With the doubles point, the Bucks needed only three of six singles to take the match. It would go down to the end. Tied at three points each, the Huskers' Gitte Ostermann won a three-setter over Erica Fisk on court two. Erica lost the first set 1-6 but came back to take the second by a score of 7-5. Nebraska got the win when Ostermann took the third set, 6-3. Sadhaf Pervez continued her streak at one with a 6-4, 6-1 win. The other winning court for OSU was Lindsay Williams on four. She also played three sets, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. Jackie Leskovar, Emily DeCamilla, and Lindsey Adams lost straight-set matches.

2/27/03

Sadhaf Pervez is ranked #38 in the nation.

What's this girl doing?
A) Checking her date calendar?
B) Studying for a midterm?
C) Reading a novel?
D) None of the above.

If you went for "none of the above," you were right.

She's Sadhaf Pervez. She plays number one singles for OSU. Presently, she is undefeated with a record of 7-0. A senior from Warren, N.J., she has a career singles record in dual matches of 55-29. She started the season with a #75 ranking. After 7 straight wins, she has moved to number #38 in the nation. Her overall record at Ohio State is 79-41. Sadhaf is working on her fourth season with over 20 wins. She has moved into fourth place in OSU career singles wins. She now has her sights on third place.

Her closest match to this point in the season was a 7-5, 7-6 nail biter against Michigan. It would prove to be one of the key matches in the 4-3 OSU win over the then #28 ranked Michigan Wolverines.

What's she doing in the picture? She writes notes to herself about how she should play and how she should calm herself. On crossovers, she reminds herself by pausing and reading what she has put down in her book.

Hopefully it continues to work as the Buckeyes take on Kansas and Nebraska this weekend.

Sadhaf is majoring in business. She is the daughter of Tasneem and Falak Pervez.

2/24/03
Other news: Over the weekend, #49 Illinois upset #1 Duke.

2/22/03
Ohio State Women's Tennis Edges Boston College, 4-3
Sadhaf Pervez remains undefeated at No. 1 singles

The Ohio State women's tennis team defeated Boston College Saturday night at a neutral site in New Haven, Conn. The Buckeyes swept the doubles matches and picked up three singles wins as Boston College dropped to 4-2 (2-1 Big East).

The Buckeyes were awarded the doubles point for the seventh-consecutive time and swept all three matches for the third time this season. At No. 1 for the Buckeyes, Sadhaf Pervez (Sr., Warren, N.J.) and Lindsay Williams (Jr., Beverly Hills, Mich.) defeated Nida Waseem and Emily Hellberg, 8-4. The Buckeye tandem of juniors Erica Fisk (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Jackie Leskovar (Cambridge, Ontario) remained undefeated in dual play (7-0) by outlasting Szilvia Szegedi and Allison Ashley, 9-8. Lindsey Adams (So., Mercer Island, Wash.) and Meaghan Colville (Jr., Toronto, Ontario) defeated the Eagle duo of Morgan Landes and Amy Molden, 8-2, to complete the sweep.

In singles action, No. 75 Pervez advanced to 7-0 at the No. 1 spot for Ohio State as she defeated Sezegedi, 6-2, 6-1. At No. 3, Leskovar recorded a three-set victory over Ashley, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, to bring the Buckeyes within one point of a victory. Ohio State suffered losses at No. 2, No. 4 and No.5 to tie the match 3-3.  Sophomore Lindsay Bryan (New Orleans, La.) stepped up at No. 6 and posted a straight-set victory over Jessica Engel, 6-4, 7-6, to clinch the victory for the Buckeyes.

Singles
No. 1    Sadhaf Pervez/Lindsay Williams def. Nida Waseem/ Emily Hellberg, 8-4
No. 2    Erica Fisk/Jackie Leskovar def. Szilvia Szegedi/Allison Ashley, 9-8
No. 3    Lindsey Adams/Meaghan Colville def. Morgan Landes /Amy Molden, 8-2
Doubles
No. 1    No. 75 Pervez def. Szegedi, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2    Waseem def. Fisk, 6-2, 6-3
No. 3    Leskovar def. Ashley, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
No. 4    Landes def. Williams, 6-4, 0-6, 6-0
No. 5    Molden def. Adams, 6-2, 6-1
No. 6    Lindsay Bryant def. Jessica Engel, 6-4, 7-6*
*Clinched Match

2/22/03
#38 Yale has defeated OSU 4-3 in New Haven, winning four of six singles matches for the victory.

The Ohio State women's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season against Yale, 3-4, Saturday in New Haven, Conn. After recording victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles and starting the match 1-0 for the sixth-consecutive time this season, the Buckeyes lost 4-of-6 singles matches to the Bulldogs. No. 38 Yale advances to 9-0 on the season while No. 36 Ohio State drops to 5-1 on the season (3-0 in the Big Ten).

Ohio State extended its season-long streak of clinching the doubles point to six. At the No. 1 spot, the Buckeye duo of Sadhaf Pervez (Sr., Warren, N.J.) and Lindsay Williams (Jr., Beverly Hills, Mich.) defeated Stephanie White and Elizabeth Kaufman, 8-2. Erica Fisk (Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.) and Jackie Leskovar (Jr., Cambridge, Ontario) remain undefeated at the No. 2 position (5-0) as they topped Bulldogs Susie Hiniker and Karlyn Martin, 8-5. The Ohio State tandem of Lindsey Adams (So., Mercer Island, Wash.) and Meaghan Colville (Jr., Toronto, Ontario) fell to Ashley Martin and Margaret Purcell, 5-8.

With a 1-0 lead Ohio State dropped four of six singles matches, posting victories at the No. 1 and No. 6 positions. No. 75 Pervez posted a straight-set victory over Purcell, 6-4, 6-2, to remain undefeated at No. 1 singles (6-0). Adams recorded a Buckeye victory at No. 6 over A. Martin, 6-1, 6-2. The only three-set match was at the No. 4 position. K. Martian of Yale took the first set, 6-2, but Ohio State's Williams fought back to win set two, 7-5. In the third set, Williams was defeated by K. Martian, 7-6 (4). Fisk snapped a four-match win streak at No.2 against Yale's Kaufman, 5-7, 6-7 (1).

No. 36 Ohio State, 3
No. 38 Yale, 4
New Haven, Conn.

Doubles
No.1    Sadhaf Pervez/Lindsay Williams def. Stephanie White/Elizabeth Kaufman, 8-2
No. 2    Erica Fisk/Jackie Leskovar def. Susie Hiniker/Karlyn Martin 8-5
No. 3    Ashley Martin/Margaret Purcell def. Lindsey Adams/Meaghan Colville 8-5

Siingles
No. 1    No. 75 Pervez def. Purcell, 6-4, 6-2
No. 2    Kaufman def. Fisk, 7-5, 7-6 (1)
No. 3    Hiniker def. Lesokvar, 6-1, 6-1
No. 4    K. Martin def. Williams, 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (4)
No. 5    Stephanie White def. Emily DeCamillia, 6-1, 6-2
No. 6    Adams def. A. Martin, 6-1, 6-2

2/21/03
Coach Polito complimented Yale, "They are 8-0 right now and they had a good win against Wake Forest. They (Yale) have a really good coach." Boston College has a new girl in at number one, so Polito expects a tough match. "What's going to be tough for us is that we are going to play both matches in the same day." He attributes a lot of their success to how hard the team has been working in practice "and now with this big win over Michigan their (the team's) confidence is really up. Michigan is the best team we've beaten from this year and last."

2/16/03
In the snow-covered Jesse Owens West Rec Center, #44 OSU iced #28 Michigan 4 to 3.

The Buckeyes are unbeaten. The #28 Wolverines go to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

Buckeye sophomore Jackie Leskovar (So., Cambridge, Ontario) clinched the match for the Buckeyes with a three-set win at No. 3 singles. Coach Polito commented, "We had a good practice on Saturday after the Michigan State match. We came out for the Michigan match and everyone was fired up, a lot of team spirit."

Ohio State opened the match by taking the doubles point for the fifth time in five chances this season. Both one and two doubles jumped ahead 7-3 and then Michigan fought back. Polito felt that it was really good that OSU served it out on both courts to take the point. At the No. 3 spot, Lindsay Adams (So., Mercer Island, Wash.) and Meaghan Colville (Jr., Toronto, Ontario) were defeated by Christine Nolan and Debra Streifler, 8-5. The Buckeye duo of Erica Fisk (Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.) and Jackie Leskovar remained undefeated in dual play as they topped UM's Kavitha Tipirneni (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby HS) and Kimberly Plaushines, 8-6, to tie the doubles match. The doubles point then was left up to the No. 1 match between the Ohio State tandem of Sadhaf Pervez (Sr., Warren, N.J.) and Lindsay Williams (Jr., Beverly Hills, Mich.) and Michigan's Michelle DaCosta and Leanne Rutherford. Even though Ohio State took the 7-3 lead, the Wolverines came back to within one game (7-6). With Pervez serving, the Buckeyes clinched the match, winning the final game giving up but one point. Coach Polito said, "To win the doubles point was real good for the outcome of the match."

The teams split the singles matches, with Ohio State winning at the top three positions, to give the Buckeyes the win. Early in singles play, the Wolverines took a 2-1 lead after posting straight-set wins at Nos. 5 and 6. "The fight and heart" was clear even in losing court 6 where "it went to 14-12 in the buster. The players just fought hard," Coach Polito continued. "At one point we were down 1-4 at one." OSU's Pervez remained undefeated, though, and tied the match at two with a close 7-5, 7-6 victory over DaCosta. At No. 2 Fisk put the Buckeyes ahead, coming back from a set down to top local Hilliard Darby High School standout Tipirneni in three sets. Erica was serving for the first set, but lost. She fought back to win the next two sets. OSU then needed to win just one of the remaining two matches that were still on the court (Nos. 3 and 4) to earn the victory.

At No. 3, Leskovar won the first set against Nolan in a tiebreak (7-6) before falling in the second, 3-6, to force a decisive third set. The Buckeye prevailed, winning, 6-3, and clinching the OSU team win. At No. 4 against Rutherford, OSU's Williams battled back to tie her match after losing the first set but the Wolverine clinched the victory with a 6-4 third-set win.

"A lot of fight was shown from 1 through 6; none of them gave up", Polito added. "Michigan is a real good team, they beat Kentucky this year. They are going to beat a lot of people. So if we can just keep improving, we should have a really good year."

Doubles
1 - Sadhaf Pervez/Lindsay Williams (OSU) def. Michelle DaCosta/Leanne Rutherford (UM), 8-6
2 - Erica Fisk/Jackie Leskovar (OSU) def. Kimberly Plaushines/Kavitha Tipirneni (UM), 8-6
3 - Christine Nolan/Debra Streifler (UM) def. Meaghan Colville/Lindsey Adams (OSU), 8-5

Singles
1 - Pervez (OSU) def. DaCosta (UM), 7-5, 7-6
2 - Fisk (OSU) def. Tipirneni (UM), 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4
3 - Leskovar (OSU) def. Nolan (UM), 7-6, 3-6, 6-3
4 - Rutherford (UM) def. Williams (OSU), 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
5 - Plaushines (UM) def. Emily DeCamilla (OSU), 6-0, 7-5
6 -Streifler (UM) def. Adams (OSU), 6-2, 7-6 (14-12)

Records: Ohio State 5-0 (3-0 Big Ten); Michigan 4-2 (1-1 Big Ten)

2/14/03
The Valentines Day card reads: #44 OSU 6, MSU 1
The Bucks take their Big Ten record to 2-0.

Their win at Jesse Owens West Rec Center moves them to 4-0 on the season. Michigan State is 5-4 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten.
 
Ohio State opened the match by winning the doubles point. It wasn't sweep, but as Asst. Coach Polito said, "We got it done and we played hard.".

OSU's No. 3 tandem of Lindsey Adams (So., Mercer Island, Wash.) and Meaghan Colville (Jr., Toronto, Ontario) posted a win over MSU's Karen Gustafson and Kate Thomas, 8-1. The Spartans followed with a win at No. 1, as Caroline Lay and Jean Willmann topped Sadhaf Pervez (Sr., Warren, N.J.) and Lindsay Williams (Jr., Beverly Hills, Mich.), 8-4. The Buckeyes' Erica Fisk (Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.) and Jackie Leskovar (So., Cambridge, Ontario) clinched the doubles point with an 8-4 victory over MSU's Shelley Brady and Jean Willmann.

The Buckeyes won 5 of the 6 singles matches for a solid 6-1 win. No. 75-ranked Pervez won in straight sets over Lay at No. 1 to remain undefeated (4-0). Fisk, Leskovar, Emily DeCamilla (So., Sacramento, Calif.) and Adams all won in straight sets to help OSU to the victory.

Doubles
1 -Caroline Lay/Keri Thompson (MSU) def. Sadhaf Pervez/Lindsay Williams (OSU), 8-4
2 - Erica Fisk/Jackie Leskovar (OSU) def. Shelley Brady/Jean Willmann (MSU), 8-4
3 - Lindsey Adams/Meaghan Colville (OSU) def. Karen Gustafson/Kate Thomas (MSU), 8-1

Singles
1 - Pervez (OSU) def. Lay (MSU), 6-4, 6-0
2 - Fisk (OSU) def. Willmann (MSU), 6-2, 7-6 (10)
3 - Thompson (MSU) def. Williams (OSU), 6-3, 6-3
4 - Leskovar (OSU) def. Brady (MSU), 6-4, 6-2
5 - Emily DeCamilla (OSU) def. Gustafson (MSU), 6-4, 6-3
6 -Adams (OSU) def. Thomas (MSU), 6-3, 6-1

2/1/03
#40 OSU Women's Tennis Team defeats #43 Baylor 4-3
As it turned out, the Ohio State Buckeyes needed the doubles point to beat the Baylor Bears. In a match that was played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Bucks swept the doubles for the second time this season to take what became the deciding point. Sadhaf Pervez and Lindsay Williams played court one in a close match against Anna Moncolova and Vida Mulec. The match went to 8-all; at that point, Pervez and Williams won a tie-break by a margin of 14-12. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar teamed together to defeat Stephanie Balzert and Daria Potapova by a set score of 8-5. The broom came out in the doubles when Meaghan Colville and Lindsey Adams were too much for the Bear's Barbora Blahutiakova and Alison Bradley. Their match was an 8-3 victory for the Bucks. Assistant coach Frank Polito again complemented the efforts of the doubles teams, "It was a battle and doubles continue to play well."

As in the Penn State match, the Bucks would split the singles. Sadhaf Pervez continued her undefeated season by pulling off an upset of number 45 Vida Mulec. Sadhaf refused to lose, going 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. This was the final match to conclude and it determined the outcome of the entire Buckeye-Bears match. At two, Erica Fisk had an easier time; Moncolova went down in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. The first loss for the Bucks came when Lindsay Williams dropped a 0-6, 1-6 match to the Bear's Balzert. OSU's Jackie Leskovar's play at four set up a tie of 3-3 which was to be broken by Sadhaf's match. Jackie did it in equally dramatic fashion by going 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 with Potapova. Coach Polito summed it up, "Jackie came through with a big victory to tie the game." The Buckeyes lost both courts five and six. Michelle Matko had a score of 3-6, 3-6 against Blahutiakova. Lindsay Bryan lost 2-6, 4-6 to Izabela Mijic.

The win over Baylor takes the Buckeyes to 3-0 and 1-0 in the Big Ten.

1/31/03
#40 OSU Women's Tennis Team defeats Marquette 6-1
The Golden Eagles of Marquette University hosted the Buckeyes in Milwaukee. The Buckeyes won the doubles point but did drop one match prompting OSU assistant coach Frank Polito to say, "We came out slow in doubles but we gutted it out." Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar teamed at one doubles to beat Michelle Mozis and Anna Pavloviv  8-4. The Bucks were not as fortunate at number two doubles; Meaghan Colville and Lindsey Adams lost to Veronica Garcia Briseno and Anabelle Espinosa by a score of 4-8. The doubles point was secured with a win by Lindsay Bryan and Sadhaf Pervez. They fought off Eva Trujillo-Herrera and Alexandra Stankovic 9-7. Coach Polito admitted he "was happy about Pervez and Bryan in doubles."

The singles matches belonged to OSU. Sadhaf Pervez defeated Michelle Mojzis 6-3, 6-4. On court two, Erica Fisk had an easier time, winning against Trujillo-Herrera 6-0, 6-3. Jackie Leskovar split the first two sets with Espinosa 6-3, 3-6. Leskovar won the match tie-break to win her match. Marquette was able to avoid a sweep when OSU's Michelle Matko lost on court four to Briseno by a score of 2-6, 4-6. Lindsay Bryan won her match with Pavlovic 6-1, 6-2. Lindsay Adams finished the scoring by the Bucks. She stopped Stankovic with a convincing 6-0, 6-2 match.

With the win over Marquette, the Buckeyes are 2-0 and 1-0 in the Big Ten.

1/26/03
#40 OSU Women's Tennis Team defeats Penn State 4-3
The Buckeyes traveled to State College to take on the Nittany Lions for the 2003 Big Ten opener. OSU's doubles teams dominated, winning all three courts. It would not be apparent until the final singles match was played as to how important this doubles point would be. Sadhaf Pervez teamed with Lindsay Williams at first doubles to post an 8-4 upset win over the number 50 ITA ranked doubles team of Megan Marton and Judy Wang. Erica Fisk and Jackie Leskovar won more one-sidedly at two where they defeated Maaria Husain and Leigh Ann Merryman by a score of 8-2. Meaghan Colville and Lindsey Adams finished the doubles sweep 8-2 over Lindsay Downing and Jessica McKeown. Winning this doubles point would prove to be a crucial point for the outcome of the match; the two teams would split the singles with 4 of the 6 matches going 3 sets. The Penn State coach, Buffy Baker, emphasized her feelings on this point when she commented after the match, "We did everything we could in singles, but we underperformed in doubles."

Sadhaf Pervez is ranked #75 in the nation.

Senior Sadhaf Pervez started on court one for the Buckeyes. Sadhaf, who is currently ranked number  75 in the nation, had a relatively easy match against the Lion's Megan Marton. Pervez' fiery style of play and solid ground strokes got her a 6-2, 6-1 win. Junior Erica Fisk lost one of the hard-fought 3-set matches on court two against Leigh Ann Merryman 7-6 (5), 2-6, 5-7. Erica seemed in control of the third set and match by going up 5-2. At that point, Merryman reeled off 5 straight games to win. On court three, OSU's Jackie Leskovar played a close 2nd set but came up short, losing in straight sets to Maaria Husain 0-6, 5-7. Jackie is a junior, transferring to OSU from North Carolina State.  Fortunately, another of the close matches went OSU's way when junior Lindsay Williams defeated Judy Wang 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. However, on court 5, the Nittany Lions continued the suspense when Sarah Spence topped OSU's Michelle Matko by a score 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. Matko is a 5th year senior. The Buckeye's Emily DeCamilla closed the door on the upset-minded players from State College when she held off Lindsay Downing in dramatic fashion 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 (0). As the score indicates, it was a close match; and even though DeCamilla led in the third set by a score of 5-2, she had to break serve at 5-6 to get the match into the winning tie-break. Once in the tie-break Emily did not relinquish a point. Emily is a sophomore transfer from the University of Maryland.

The Bucks are 1-0 on the season.

The team showed up for the Illinois football game.

Champaign-Urbana, Illinois 11/16/02 OSU 23 UI 16 OT The Tennis Team says, "Go Bucks!" You can't read the top sign. It says, "Fiesta Bowl Champions!" How did they know?

10/1/02
Women's Tennis Team to play in Bloomington

If you happen to be in the Bloomington, Indiana area this weekend, stop in and cheer for the Bucks: the OSU women's tennis team, that is. Yes, you are allowed to cheer at tennis matches. The coach and the team would appreciate seeing and hearing from you.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the OSU women's tennis team will participate in the Hoosier Classic Invitational. Three teams from the Big Ten (host Indiana, Iowa and OSU) will compete along with three teams from the Big 12 (Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri). The Bucks played IU, Iowa and Kansas last year and beat all three in duel matches. OSU Coach Chuck Merzbacher expects good competition from all the teams. He said Missouri returns its entire lineup from last season.

The format for this event will be different from the previous two tournaments for the Bucks. This will be a flight competition with all number one players competing against each other. Number two players will only play number two players and so on. The flights will be 1 through 8 singles and 1 through 4 doubles. The Buckeyes will be without Senior Sadhaf Pervez. The NCAA limits the number of events for fall play, and Sadhaf will shortly be off to California to play in the All American Classic. She received this invite because of her outstanding summer on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association tour. Without Sadhaf, Coach Merzbacher will be making some adjustments at the top of his singles and doubles.

Regarding his team, Merzbacher said he is confident with the depth of his lineup as well as the attitude and work that the team has shown. He continued to talk about how the entire team is taking a responsibility for improving. The players have worked hard on their game strokes so they can concentrate more on strategy. He finished by saying, "Our kids seem to be able to make adjustments on the court more so than in the past."

The Buckeyes are coming off their second tournament of the season. Two weeks back they hosted the Prince Cup and had a good showing with both Erica Fisk and Sadhaf Pervez making it to the semifinals in singles. Seven of nine singles players advanced to the round of 32. Fisk and Pervez reached the quarterfinals in doubles. Last week at the Cissie Leary (longtime coach at the University of Pennsylvania) Invitational, Pervez advanced to the round of 16 before losing. The doubles team of Meaghan Colville and Fisk made it to the quarterfinals. When Merzbacher was asked if he was disappointed with OSU's showing, he responded by saying that the competition was outstanding. There were probably 15 of the top players in the nation at the invitational; the girl that beat Fisk in her first match was not seeded because she was a foreign student and didn't have a collegiate ranking. "She'll have a high ranking at the end of the season," Merzbacher concluded confidently.

Erica Fisk

Erica Fisk will likely play in the 1st flight of singles and doubles at IU. She is looking forward to going to Indiana since she grew up in Indianapolis. She played all the USTA junior tournaments against girls from that area. She feels she'll have some friendly spectators in attendance. Many of her high school friends are at IU and her family will have a short trip to see her. She's hoping that her two brothers will find time to come. She said it is always exciting to play other Big Ten schools. There may be something that she wants to prove because she added that Indiana had been interested in her as a recruit, but IU never made an offer. She admitted that Michigan was still the match that she really points for, but IU is close behind. When asked how she feels about her play, she answered that she had a good tournament at the OSU Prince Cup and even though she lost early in the main draw this past weekend, she feels her game is getting to be where she wants it to be. She believes she has the natural physical ability genetically that others might not have. Her dad played for the Baltimore Orioles, her mom plays tennis and golf and her uncle is Carlton Fisk. Need she say more? An area where she has put more emphasis this year is the mental side of the game. She is a fiery competitor and she credits work with OSU's sports psychologist as a great help for her to be more focused.

The matches will be played at the varsity courts on the IU campus. In case of rain, they will use IU's indoor facility. Matches begin at 9:00 AM daily.

9/17/02
Women's Tennis Team to host Prince Cup

While the football Buckeyes travel down I 71 this weekend, the women's tennis team will stay on campus at the Stickney Tennis Center hosting the Prince Cup.  Baylor, Eastern Michigan, Louisiana State, Penn State, Miami (OH) and Notre Dame are in town for what should be an excellent tennis event. There are 48 players in the singles draw and 24 teams in doubles.

The Buckeyes will be lead by Erica Fisk (niece of baseball great Carlton Fisk) and Sadhaf Pervez. They are presently the highest ranked OSU women's players being ranked 69th and 89th respectively in the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Preseason Rankings. Sadhaf is coming off of an excellent summer of play. She was chosen as the 2002 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Female Summer Circuit Player of the Year. She won the final ITA event of the summer, placed 2nd in the tournament here at OSU and was a semifinalist in the Pittsburgh event. Erica is the second seeded singles player; Sadhaf is number four. The number one singles seed is Vida Mulec from Baylor; the number three will be Alicia Salas from Notre Dame.

Coach Chuck Merzbacher (7th season) and assistant coach Frank Polito have been working feverishly organizing the tournament. Unlike the major OSU sports, they are the only ones to put the event together. Coach Merzbacher expects strong showings by Notre Dame, Baylor and, of course, the Buckeyes. They use these fall tournaments and invitationals as tune-ups to the regular season which begins in January.

The Buckeyes graduated only two from last year's team. Unfortunately, one was Monica Rincon, their number one player. That is a position that will need to be filled. The other loss to graduation was Claudia Castro, a four-year letter winner. Coach Merzbacher is excited about two new players to the roster. These players come as transfers to the program: Jackie Leskovar, a junior from North Carolina State and Emily DeCamilla a sophomore from the University of Maryland (unlike some sports, these players do not need to sit out a year).

Matches begin Friday at 9:00 AM and continue Saturday and Sunday at Stickney. If weather does not cooperate, matches will be played at the Jesse Owens Center on Kenny Rd.