Jan. 22, 2000

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Playing two players short, University of Illinois women's netters opened their spring season with a split, defeating Illinois-Chicago 7-2 and falling to DePaul 6-3 on Saturday at the Atkins Tennis Center.

Losing the services of freshman Natascha Loebnitz and sophomore Brooke Ferney due to illness, Illinois entered each of Saturday's contests down a match in both singles and doubles. Against UIC, the Illini cruised to victory without dropping a set throughout the match. Senior Natalia Manasova blanked the Flames' Jacki Farr 6-0, 6-0 at No.3 singles. Fellow senior Megan Wise did the same to Kim Harris at No. 5. Freshman Eldina Fazlic, playing No. 1 for the Illini, defeated Emina Curic 6-2, 6-0. With the same result as Fazlic, freshman Michelle Webb won against Alyson Stalzer at the No.4 spot. Junior Carla Rosenberg clinched the victory for Illinois with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Nicole Derouin.

The Illini could not keep to their winning ways against the Blue Demons in the afternoon session. Illinois started out on a positive note, getting wins from Fazlic, Wise and Webb. Fazlic took DePaul's Laura Taylor 6-0, 7-5 at No. 1. Playing at No. 4 in the afternoon matchup, Wise handed Kadi Hilpus a 6-0, 6-0 loss. Webb made short work of Charlotta Aronsson, 6-1, 6-1. At No.2, Rosenberg fell 6-2, 6-2 to Barbara Fuzesi while Manasova lost a tough three-setter to Szilvia Kelemen 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Down 4-3 heading into doubles action, DePaul picked up its clinching win with Fuzesi and Kelemen defeating Rosenberg and Webb at the No. 1 position.

"It was a tremendous challenge to play with just five players and down 0-2 before both matches began," Head Coach Sujay Lama said. "We'll grow from this experience and become a stronger team in the weeks ahead."

Illinois heads south for its next action, taking on South Florida Jan. 29 in Tampa, Fla.