Matthew Wilson
New captain Yasmin Ruiterman led Kingston’s women to their first victory of the season with a five-matches-to-one triumph over LSE’s second team.
Kingston failed to win a match last season and had been working hard towards their first win of 2012.
Ruiterman said: “I’m really happy with our first win. I’m so proud of all my girls.”
Starting slowly
Things did not start well for Kingston when Jessica Schulz pulled out in the warm-up with a leg injury.
Ruiterman played with Emma Thompson in the first of two doubles matches against LSE captain Selina Pamnar and Kana Izumi.
Pamnar and Izumi enjoyed a good start, using their strength and power to win the the first set 7-5.
Ruiterman and Thompson concentrated hard and kept their nerve to win the close second set 7-6, then took the tiebreak set 10-6.
“Our attitude was excellent. We were really positive and tennis is such a mental game. We were consistent and dominant,” Ruiterman said.
Finishing in style
Janelle Fivecoat and Rebecca Lee won the other doubles match in the tiebreak 7-5 2-6 10-7. Ruiterman also won her singles match 6-4 3-6 11-9.
Thompson won her singles match comfortably beating Pamnar 6-3 7-5 and Lee also beat her opponent in straight sets 6-4 6-4.
Fivecoat lost to Franziska Hunger 7-6 6-2 to record Kingston’s only defeat of the evening.
Konstantinos Patas