WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Wisconsin's veteran athletes were the silver lining Friday, securing the Badgers only two points in a 5-2 loss to Purdue.
 
Hitting the road for the first of two matches this weekend, the Wisconsin women's tennis team (2-2 Big Ten, 8-8 overall) traveled to Purdue to continue Big Ten dual play against the Boilermakers (1-2, 8-7). 
 
Senior Kelsey Grambeau and junior Sara Castellano won the Badgers points at the No. 2 and No. 4 singles positions.
 
Grambeau was even after the second set [4-6, 7-6] and won the match due to a retirement from Rafaella Baquerizo in the third.
 
Castellano went through Alex Sabe in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Both wins came after Purdue had already won the match with four points.
 
Purdue started off winning the doubles point by taking down the duo of sophomore Melissa Pick and freshman MaryAnn Rompf, 6-2 and Castellano and sophomore Michelle Linden, 6-2.
 
Freshman Lexi Keberle, ranked No. 113, suffered a 6-2, 6-3 defeat to Silvia Ambrosio, giving Purdue its third point. 
 
Linden and Rompf were both defeated in straight sets in singles play while Pick battled into a third set, losing the match in a 10-8 tiebreaker.
 
Up next: UW returns home to Nielsen Tennis Stadium on Sunday, March 25 to host Michigan State. The match is set for 11 a.m. (CT).
 
 
Friday, March 23, 2018
Schwartz Tennis Center - West Lafayette, Ind.
Purdue 5, Wisconsin 2
 
 
 
 
Singles competition
1. Silvia Ambrosio (PUR) def. #113 Lexi Keberle (WIS) 6-2, 6-3
2. Sara Castellano (WIS) def. Alex Sabe (PUR) 6-3, 6-1
3. Ena Babic (PUR) def. MaryAnn Rompf (WIS) 6-3, 6-0
4. Kelsey Grambeau (WIS) def. Rafaella Baquerizo (PUR) 4-6, 7-6 (13-11), retired
5. Seira Shimizu (PUR) def. Melissa Pick (WIS) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)
6. Caitlin Calkins (PUR) def. Michelle Linden (WIS) 6-1, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Ambrosio and Calkins (PUR) vs. Grambeau and Keberle (WIS) 5-3, unfinished
2. Babic and Dovnik (PUR) def. Pick and Rompf (WIS) 6-2
3. Sabe and Shimizu (PUR) def. Castellano and Linden (WIS) 6-2