Feb. 12, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The 49th-ranked Illinois women's tennis team closed the weekend with a 7-0 loss to No. 23 Wake Forest, Sunday afternoon at the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center. With the loss, the Illini drop to 4-3 while the Deacons improve to 4-1.
"We improved from Friday," Coach Lama said. "We played with a lot of energy and competed very well. Sooner or later this team is going to have a breakthrough and I'm confident it's going to happen soon."
Wake Forest opened the day winning all three doubles tilts. Emily Wang (Lawrence, Kan.) and Macall Harkins (Verdes Estates, Calif.) went up 3-1 but lost 8-5 at No. 1 to Alex Hirsch and Ashlee Davis, while Ana Jerman and Christian Tara topped Momei Qu (Portland, Ore.) and Shivani Dave (Concord, Mass.), 8-3. Sierra Poske and Christine Simpson defeated Brianna Knue (Western Springs, Ill.) and Alejandra Meza Cuadra (Lime, Peru) 8-6 at No. 3.
In singles, No. 42 Hirsch beat Harkins on court number one 6-2, 7-6 and Qu went three sets with 64th-ranked Davis at number two, but a couple mistakes cost the sophomore in the super tiebreaker. Cuadra also went three sets at number six. She failed to win a game in her first set but turned it around to take the second set 6-1. The Illini sophomore battled in the third set but lost 6-4.
Fans are encouraged to dress for the occasion in all orange as the Fighting Illini take on No. 35 Mississippi at noon on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Atkins Tennis Center.
Sunday's Results
No. 23 Wake Forest 7, No. 49 Illinois 0
Singles 1. No. 42 Alex Hirsch (WF) def. Macall Harkins (ILL), 6-2, 7-6 2. No. 64 Ashlee Davis (WF) def. Momei Qu (ILL), 5-7, 6-2, 1-0(10-4) 3. Ana Jerman (WF) def. Brianna Knue (ILL), 6-3, 6-3 4. Christian Tara (WF) def. Emily Wang (ILL), 6-3, 6-4 5. Sierra Poske (WF) def. Shivani Dave (ILL), 6-4, 6-3 6. Christine Simpson (WF) def. Alejandra Meza Cuadra (ILL), 6-0, 1-6, 6-4
Doubles: 1. Hirsch/Davis (WF) def Wang/Harkins (ILL), 8-5 3-1 2. Jerman/Tara (WF) def Qu/Dave (ILL), 8-3 3. Poske/Simpson (WF) def. Knue/Cuadra (ILL) 8-6
