Michigan
Spartan Invitational
Wolverines Claim Singles, Doubles Titles at Spartan Invitational
9/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sept. 25, 2011
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts)
Event: Spartan Invitational
U-M Team Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Tue-Sun, Oct. 4-9 -- at ITA All-American Championships (Los Angeles, Calif.)
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's tennis team claimed a singles title and a doubles title at the season-opening Spartan Invitational this weekend (Fri-Sun, Sept. 23-25) at the MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts. The four Wolverine representatives combined for a 12-2 singles record and went 7-1 in doubles competition.
In her first collegiate competition, freshman Kristen Dodge (Barrington, Ill./Barrington HS) claimed the title in the 16-player Draw B singles flight. After defeating Louisville's Amelia Harris (6-1, 6-0) for her first career victory, Dodge outlasted Purdue's Imogen Golder and Louisville's Sarah Miller to advance to the championship match against teammate and fellow freshman Sarah Lee (Los Angeles, Calif./Campbell Hall). The finale was a three-set battle as Dodge edged Lee, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, for the title.
Lee won her three first matches as a Wolverine to advance to the Draw B championship. She cruised past IPFW's Raquel Vescovi, 6-1, 6-3, in her collegiate debut before winning in three sets against Louisville's Manuela Velasquez (6-7, 7-5, 6-1) and defeating Purdue's Gisella Pere, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinals.
Michigan's veteran representatives, junior Mimi Nguyen (Long Beach, Calif./Millikan HS) and senior Michelle Sulahian (Valley Glen, Calif./Campbell School), posted similar 3-1 records to place second and third, respectively, in the Draw A singles field. Nguyen triumphed her first three matches, including a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over No. 118-ranked Zara Harutyunyun in the semifinals, before falling to Louisville's Rebecca Shine in the championship match, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
After dropping her first match of the tournament, Sulahian reeled off three straight two-set wins in the backdraw, including a 6-0, 6-3 decision over No. 112-ranked Amy Barton of Michigan State and a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Illinois Chicago's Elisa Simonetti in the consolation finale.
Both doubles pairings won their final match on Sunday. Nguyen and Sulahian captured the Draw A doubles crown with perfect 4-0 record and an 8-6 victory over Illinois Chicago's Mariya Kovaleva and Haley Craig in the final. Lee and Dodge won three in a row after losing their first match, cruising past IPFW's Anita Henestrosa and Brooke Dennis, 8-3, in the third-place contest.
Sophomores Brooke Bolender (Delray Beach, Fla./Kaplan Prep) and Sam Critser (Mountain View, Calif./Mountain View HS) and freshman Emina Bektas (Indianapolis, Ind./New Branfuels HS) did not compete this weekend. The trio will begin qualifying action at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships next Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. The top eight finishers in the qualifying event will advance into the 32-player main draw, which begins Thursday, Oct. 6.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Ronni Bernstein
On how she evaluated Michigan's veterans and freshmen ... "I was particularly looking at the freshmen to see how they fit with kids on other teams. We also had them together in the doubles, and we're just starting to work with them and their strategy. It was good to see them together. We were really on them with what they were doing, point by point. We were really watching them more than our veterans, just because we know what to expect from the veterans. It was good. The freshmen played each other today and kind of battled it out. Overall, the whole weekend was good. It was good to get Mimi and Michelle some matches, because they didn't compete too much this summer, and it was good to see where the freshmen are and things we need to work on. It was a valuable weekend."
On the using the first weekend to find areas for improvement ... "Especially for the new kids, because we don't know them quite as well. We've had Michelle and Mimi for a few years, so we know their games. But it's just really match play and things that we're going to work on in practice. The results are great. We had a great weekend and had some success, but it's more about going back now and working on some things that we saw."
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
