Jacqueline Wong was staring defeat in the face Sunday.
Down one set and trailing 4-1 in the second against Maryland's Maggie Mackeever, the junior gazed at her opponent and only one thought crossed her mind: "Finish and never give up."
That take-no-prisoners attitude paid off as Wong prevailed in dramatic fashion, winning the next five games to claim that set 6-4 and then winning 10-6 in the tiebreaker.
Outside of Wong's comeback, the Quakers (1-4) didn't have too many bright spots, as they fell, 5-2, to the Terrapins yesterday. But the weekend wasn't a total wash, as Penn shut out George Washington, 7-0, Friday to earn its first win of the season.
Wong's comeback victory against Maryland (3-5) embodies her recent success against an entirely different opponent: injury. In the midst of a solid freshman season in which she went 5-4, Wong suffered a back injury that left her unable to play in her sophomore year.
"Just physically, I haven't been on top of my abilities, endurance-wise and speed-wise," Wong said. "I think it's getting back. I'm working hard, trying to get my consistency up."
After dropping her first two matches of the season, Wong shut out No. 5 Verena Knoedler of GW (2-3), 6-0, 6-0. It is clear that she has indeed regained much of her lost swagger.
Against Maryland, senior Lauren Sadaka defeated her opponent 6-4, 6-4 in an emotional game to claim the No. 2 match.
If consistency is the cardinal virtue of tennis, consider Sadaka's season thus far a riveting success. The senior has won the last four matches she's played.
"That was a big win for her today," interim coach Sara Schiffman said of Sadaka's win against the Terrapins. "As a senior captain she's really been stepping it up and been playing really well."
At one point Sadaka's match became quite vicious when she yelled at her opponent, Michal Amir, accusing her of calling a ball out of bounds when it was "at least two inches" in play. (Under league rules, players referee their own games.)
Despite a rough start to the season, the Quakers should benefit from Wong's improving play.
"That was the best I've seen her play all year," Schiffman said. "She's been practicing really hard, so I think she should be really proud."
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