Michigan
Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Main Draw
DaCosta, Delicata Advance to Quarterfinals at Regional
10/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of Michigan women's tennis team has three student-athletes still alive in main draw singles and doubles after the third day of competition (Saturday, Oct. 23) at the 2004 Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships at the Baseline Tennis Center. Senior Michelle DaCosta (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne HS) and sophomore Kara Delicata (LaSalle, Ontario/Sandwich Secondary) have reached the quarterfinals in doubles, while DaCosta and sophomore Elizabeth Exon (Irvine, Calif./Woodridge HS) moved on to the round of 16 in singles.
Michigan started the day with two doubles teams in the round of 16. DaCosta and Delicata, the No. 1 seed, kept rolling through the competition with an 8-2 win over Iowa's Milica Veselinovic and Anastasia Zhukova. Exon and junior transfer Nina Yaftali (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) had their run ended with a tough 8-6 loss to Illinois' Macall Harkins and Brianna Knue.
In main draw singles, DaCosta posted a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Purdue's Brooke Beier in the first round, then dominated DePaul's, Marina Parashkevova, 6-2, 6-1, to advance to the round of 16. After a 6-1, 6-2 win over Minnesota's Ida Malmberg, Exon fought back to defeat Purdue's Stephanie Wooten, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1, to join DaCosta in the third round.
Delicata and senior Leanne Rutherford (Calgary, Alberta/National Sports School) both split their two singles matches. Delicata earned a 6-1, 6-3 decision over Ohio State's Kristin Messmer in the first round but fell to Purdue's Hala Sufi, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2, in the round of 32. Rutherford opened the day with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over Purdue's Shawna Zuccarini but then was ousted from the tournament with a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Iowa's Hillary Mintz later in the afternoon.
Three Wolverines suffered first-round setbacks in singles. Freshman Allie Shafner (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) dropped a match to DePaul's Petra Rehusova, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Yaftali was unable to get by Drake's Zorana Stefanovic, falling 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. Junior Debra Streifler (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park HS) was also upended in the opening round, losing 6-0, 6-2 to Northwestern's Alexis Prousis.
DaCosta and Delicata will face Notre Dame's Brook Buck and Lauren Connelly in the quarterfinals tomorrow (Sunday, Oct. 24) at 9 a.m. CDT. DaCosta will then meet Mintz in the singles round of 16 at 1 p.m. CDT, while Exon will take on Illinois' Cynthya Goulet at 2:30 p.m. CDT.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
