Illinois' women's tennis team won six of eight singles matches on the first day of competition at the Midwest Blast at Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana. The Illini had three players advance into the quarterfinals, led by junior Eva Choe who came from behind to knock off third-seeded and 80th ranked Valerie Vladea of Minnesota.
Choe dropped the first set 6-1 to Vladea. In the second set, the two battled to a tiebreaker. After losing the first point, Choe won four consecutive points and then traded points, taking the set 7-6 (4). In the deciding set, Choe dominated Vladea, 6-1 to close out the set and the match.
"Eva was pretty amazing today," Assistant Coach JoAnne Russell said. "A lot of times you think you're better than you really are when you have a weak first round opponent, but today Eva's first round opponent surprised her. But because that match was so tough, she concentrated and got tougher against one of the best players in our region."
Joining Choe in the quarters will be classmate Tiffany Eklov and senior Eldina Fazlic. Fazlic received a first round bye and defeated Annelies Schenk of Georgia Tech, 6-0, 6-4. In her first round match, Eklov survived a scare from Minnesota's Nischela Reddy, losing the first set 6-3, but she recovered to take the second 6-2 and the third 6-3. Eklov cruised past Illinois State's Emilie Sechaud, 6-4, 6-0.
Sophomore Leila Cehajic beat the Redbird's Elizabeth Bingier 7-6 (4), 6-0 to earn a spot opposite second-seeded and 46th ranked Catherine Gunn of Georgia Tech. Cehajic played well, but was out-gunned, 6-4, 6-3.
The Illini had three doubles teams compete. Cehajic and freshman Brianna Knue made easy work of Illinois State's Dasha Cizkova and Alana Hoffman, winning 8-2. With the victory, the duo will face Minnesota's 29th ranked team of Vladea and Michaela Havlekova. Choe and Fazlic also advanced to the second round with an 8-4 triumph over Illinois State's Laura Gravino and Shelby Lipson.
"This tournament serves as an opportunity for us and today three of them capitalized, especially Eva," Head Coach Sujay Lama said. "Valerie Vladea is one of the top players in our region and Eva competed well, hung in there and got the win."
"Now our goal is to improve each day, seize the opportunities when they are presented and finish the fall with a bang."
Action resumes tomorrow at 10 a.m. CST at Atkins. Results can be found at www.fightingillini.com.
MIDWEST BLAST - Friday-Sunday, Nov. 8-10, 2002 - Univ. of Illinois Atkins Tennis Center
Main Draw Singles
ROUND ONE ROUND TWO QUARTERFINALS SEMIFINALS FINAL
1 Jamie Wong (GT) Wong BYE Wong 6-2, 6-0 Kandis Batiste(MINN) Batiste Ashley Maxwell (ISU) 6-3, 6-3
8 Angela Buergis (MINN) Buergis Alana Hoffman (ISU) 6-1, 6-3 Buergis 6-0, 6-2 Brianna Knue (ILL) Watts Brandi Watts (MINN) 6-4, 6-3
5 Eldina Fazlic (ILL) Fazlic BYE Fazlic 6-0, 6-4 Shelby Lipson (ISU) Schenk Annelies Schenk (GT) 7-5, 6-2
4 Liina Suurvarik (ISU) Suurvarik BYE Suurvarik 7-5, 6-1 Michaela Havlekova (MINN) Havelkova BYE
3 Valerie Vladea (MINN) Vladea BYE Choe 1-6, 7-6, 6-1 Laura Gravino (ISU) Choe Eva Choe (ILL) 6-4, 7-6 (3)
6 Alesia Mikalayeva (ISU) Mikalayeva BYE Morris 6-1, 6-3 Mysti Morris (GT) Morris Dasha Cizkova (ISU) 6-2, 6-0
7 Tiffany Eklov (ILL) Eklov Nischela Reddy (MINN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Eklov 6-4, 6-0 Emilie Sechaud (ISU) Sechaud BYE
Leila Cehajic (ILL) Cehajic Elizabeth Bingier (ISU) 7-6 (4), 6-0 Gunn 6-4, 6-3 BYE Gunn 2 Catherine Gunn (GT)
MIDWEST BLAST - Friday-Sunday, Nov. 8-10, 2002 - Univ. of Illinois Atkins Tennis Center
Main Draw Doubles
ROUND ONE QUARTERFINALS SEMIFINALS FINAL
1 Liina Suurvarik/Alesia Mikalayeva (ISU) Suurvarik/ BYE Mikalayeva Suurvarik/ Mikalayeva 8-3 Lyndsay Shosho/Annelies Schenk (GT) Shosho/Schenk Angela Buergis/Michaela Reddy (MINN) 8-5
Catherine Gunn/Maria Nieto (GT) Gunn/Nieto Tiffany Eklov/Jessica Barki (ILL) 8-4
Laura Gravino/Shelby Lipson (ISU) Fazlic/Choe 4 Eldina Fazlic/Eva Choe (ILL) 8-4
3 Jamie Wong/Mysti Morris (GT) Wong/Morris Ashley Maxwell/Emilie Sechaud (ISU) 8-1
Wong/Morris 8-0
Kandis Batiste/Brandi Watts (MINN) Batiste/Watts BYE
Alana Hoffman/Dasha Cizkova (ISU) Cehajic/Knue Leila Cehajic/Brianna Knue (ILL) 8-2
BYE Vladea/ 2 Valerie Vladea/Michaela Havlekova (MINN) Havlekova
