Michigan
Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships
Mahtani Reaches Third Round at Midwest Regional
10/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Event: Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championship
Scoring: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Oct. 26 -- Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championship - Main Draw Singles and Doubles (East Lansing, Mich.)
Bracket: Singles | Doubles
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Junior Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) of the University of Michigan women's tennis team won twice today (Saturday, Oct. 25) to advance to the third round of the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championship held at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. Mahtani reaches the round of 16 for the second consecutive season.
Mahtani moved on with a 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 opening-round win over Northwestern's Stacey Lee and moved into the third round with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Purdue's Tatiana Ganzha. Mahtani will now take on Illinois' Chelci Abajian tomorrow (Sunday, Oct. 26) for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Several other U-M players also advanced in the singles main draw. Sophomore Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adla E. Stevenson HS) posted a 6-1, 6-3 straight-sets win over Iowa's Lynne Poggensee-Wei to open the day but fell in the second round to Northwestern's Elena Chernyakova, 6-4, 6-4.
Senior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberly Academy) picked up a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) win against DePaul's Katarina Milinkovic before falling to Kristen Rafael from Notre Dame, 6-1, 6-4 in the second round.
Sophomore Rika Tatsuno(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) and senior Lindsey Howard(Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin HS) also competed in singles action. Howard dropped her first-round match to Notre Dame's Shannon Matthews, 6-0, 6-1, while Tatsuno fell to Ohio State's Julie Blackmore, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. In consolation action, Howard fell to Iowa's Jessica Young, 3-6, 7-6(7-5), 10-5.
The Wolverines concluded doubles action on Saturday. Sophomore Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) and junior Tania Mahtani(Ranchos Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) and sophomore Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson HS) and senior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberly Academy) each reached the third round with two wins on Friday (Oct. 24), but both teams fell today in third-round action.
Taney and Mahtani fell to DePaul's Dunja Antunovic and Kristin Gambrell, 8-4, while Muresan and Sugiyama dropped a 9-8(7) decision to Ohio State's Cami Hubbs and Kristina Keesey.
Following are Michigan qualifying singles and doubles results:
Lindsey Howard
First Round - l. Samantha Matthews (Notre Dame), 6-1, 6-0
Consolation - l. Jessica Young (Iowa), 3-6, 7-6(7-5), 10-5
Finished with a 0-2 record
Chisako Sugiyama
First Round - d. Katarina Milinkovic (DePaul), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4)
Second Round - l. Kristen Rafael (Notre Dame), 6-1, 6-4
Finished with a 1-1 record
Denise Muresan
First Round - d. Lynne Poggensee-Wei (Iowa), 6-1, 6-3
Second Round - l. Elena Chernyakova (Northwestern), 6-4, 6-4
Finished with a 1-1 record
Tania Mahtani
First Round - d. Stacy Lee (Northwestern), 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
Second Round - d. Tatiana Ganzha (Purdue), 6-1, 6-3
Advances to the third round
Rika Tatsuno
First Round - l. Jessica Blackmore (Ohio State), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Finished with a 0-1 record
Denise Muresan/Sugiyama
First Round - d. Chiarelli/Wilkins (Minnesota), 8-3
Second Round - d. Murray/Chernyakova (Northwestern), 8-4
Third Round - l. Hubbs/Keesey (Ohio State), 9-8(7)
Finished with a 2-1 record
Tania Mahtani/Whitney Taney
First Round - d. Pahl/Matsuto (Western Michigan), 8-6
Second Round - d. Ghanzal/Lee (Northwestern), 8-6
Third Round - l. Antunovic/Gambrell (DePaul), 8-4
Finished with a 2-1 record
Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
