Michigan
Thunderbird Invitational
Sugiyama Leads Michigan at Thunderbird Invitational
11/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Site: Tempe, Ariz. (Whiteman Tennis Center)
Event: Thunderbird Invitational
Scoring: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event:Saturday, Jan. 17-- Michigan Invitational (Varsity Tennis Center)
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Senior Chisako Sugiyama(Parsippany, N.J./The Montclair Kimberly Academy) reached the semifinals in singles and went 3-0 in doubles as the University of Michigan women's tennis team concluded fall action at the Thunderbird Invitational this weekend (Nov. 7-9) at the Whiteman Tennis Center. The Wolverines picked up 12 singles wins and posted an 8-3 record in doubles action during the three-day event.
Sugiyama,who wasthe top seedin the 32-player singles draw, opened the tournament with a trio of three-set victories, including a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 comeback win over California's Marion Ravelojaona in the quarterfinals. Sugiyama dropped another three-setter in the semifinals, falling to Armstrong Atlantic's Sona Novakova, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. Sugiyama lost to UCLA's Nina Pantic, 6-2, 6-1, in Sunday's third-place match.
Sugiyama and junior Tania Mahtani(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) led Michigan's solid doubles performance with wins overteams from Arizona State, California and UCLA. Sophomore Denise Muresan(Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai. E. Stevenson HS) also recorded a 3-0 doubles mark, teaming with classmate Whitney Taney(Edina, Minn./Edina HS) for wins on Friday and Saturday before pairing up with senior Lindsey Howard(Richmond, Va./Mills. E Godwin HS) todefeat California's Ravelojaona and Jana Juricova in a tiebreak, 9-8(1), on Sunday.
Muresan and sophomore Rika Tatsuno(Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) also posted winning records in singles action. Muresan opened the tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Armstrong Atlantic's Alida Muller-Wehlau and picked up a 6-3, 6-0 consolation victory over Fresno State's Bruna Paes to finish 2-1. Tatsuno went 3-1 with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph overSouthern Cal'sCarling Seguso and consolation wins over Arizona State's Ali Van Horne (6-4, 6-2) and Fresno State's Danon Beatty (5-7, 6-2, 10-7).
This weekend concludes the fall season for the Maize and Blue. The Wolverines will next be in action Jan. 17-19 when they open the spring season as hosts of the Michigan Invitational.
Following are Michigan's match-by-match results:
SINGLES
Lindsey Howard
First Round (Friday) - l. Ashlee Brown (Arizona State), 6-3, 6-2
Consolation (Friday) - d. Laura Pola (Fresno State), 6-4, 6-1
Consolation (Saturday) - l. Stephany Chang (California), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Consolation (Sunday) - l. Sianna Simmons (Arizona State), 6-2, 6-3
Finished with a 1-3 record
Tania Mahtani
First Round (Friday) - d. Ali Van Horne (Arizona State), 6-2, 6-4
Second Round (Friday) - l. Rachael Dillon (California), 7-5, 7-5
Consolation (Saturday) - l. Cristala Andrews (Southern Cal), 6-2, 6-0
Consolation (Sunday) - l. Micaela Hein (Arizona State), 6-3, 6-2
Finished with a 1-3 record
Denise Muresan
First Round (Friday) - d. Alida Muller-Wehlau (Armstrong Atlantic), 6-4, 6-2
Second Round (Friday) - l. Jana Juricova (California), 6-1, 6-2
Consolation (Saturday) - d. Bruna Paes (Fresno State), 6-3, 6-0
Finished with a 2-1 record
Chisako Sugiyama
First Round (Friday) - d. Lyndsay Kinstler (Southern Cal), 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-1
Second Round (Friday)- d. Micaela Hein (Arizona State), 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4
Quarterfinals (Saturday) - d. Marion Ravelojaona (California), 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Semifinals (Saturday) - l. Sona Novakova (Armstrong Atlantic), 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Third Place (Sunday) - l. Nina Pantic (UCLA), 6-2, 6-1
Finished with a 3-2 record
Michelle Sulahian
First Round (Friday) - l. Marion Ravelojaona (California), 6-2, 6-2
Consolation (Friday) - l. Sianna Simmons (Arizona State), 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
Consolation (Saturday) - l. Lyndsay Kinstler (Southern Cal), 6-4, 6-4
Consolation (Sunday) - l. Laura Paola (Fresno State), 6-4, 3-6, 1-0(5)
Finished with a 0-4 record
Whitney Taney
First Round (Friday) - d. Amanda Martin (Arizona State), 6-1, 6-0
Consolation (Saturday) - l. Micaela Hein (Arizona State), 6-3, 3-1 (ret.)
Finished with a 1-1 record
Rika Tatsuno
First Round (Friday) - d. Carling Seguso (UCLA), 6-2, 6-3
Second Round (Friday) - l. Sona Novakova (Armstrong Atlantic), 7-5, 6-4
Consolation (Saturday) - d. Ali Van Horne (Arizona State), 6-4, 6-2
Consolation (Sunday) - d. Danon Beatty (Fresno State), 5-7, 6-2, 1-0(7)
Finished with a 3-1 record
Kari Wig
First Round (Friday) - l. Nina Pantic (UCLA), 6-3, 6-0
Consolation (Sunday) d. Amanda Martin (Arizona State), 6-4, 6-3
Finished with a 1-1 record
DOUBLES
Lindsey Howard/Denise Muresan
Sunday - d. Juricova/Ravelojaona (California), 9-8(5)
Finished with a 1-0 record
Lindsey Howard/Kari Wig
Saturday - l. Dillon/Chang (California), 9-8(1)
Finished with a 0-1 record
Tania Mahtani/Chisako Sugiyama
Friday - d. Juricova/Ravelojaona (California), 8-4
Saturday - d. Brown/Simmons (Arizona State), 8-6
Sunday - d. Seguso/Pantic (UCLA), 8-4
Finished with a 3-0 record
Michelle Sulahian/Kari Wig
Friday - l. Brown/Simmons (Arizona State), 8-5
Finished with a 0-1 record
Denise Muresan/Whitney Taney
Friday - d. Kinstler/Andrews (Southern Cal), 8-2
Saturday - d. Olivier/Paes (Fresno State), 8-1
Finished with a 2-0 record
Lindsey Howard/Rika Tatsuno
Friday - d. Pola/Beatty (Fresno State), 8-4
Finished with a 1-0 record
Michelle Sulahian/Rika Tatsuno
Saturday - d. Walters/Pantic (UCLA), 8-5
Sunday - l. Novakova/Muller-Wehlau (Armstrong Atlantic), 8-5
Finished with a 1-1 record
Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
