The University of Minnesota women's tennis team opened the 2007 dual season today with a 4-3 win over Western Michigan in the second semifinal of the Minnesota Court Classic at the Baseline Tennis Center. The Golden Gophers (1-0) went 4-2 in singles play and won the doubles point in comeback fashion.
The Broncos (2-3) opened doubles action with an 8-5 win at No. 2 before UM's Karina Chiarelli and Ashley Schellhas upended Ashley Moccia and Noriko Saruta, 8-6 at No. 1. With the doubles point on the line at No. 3, Ida Malmberg and Danielle Mousseau rallied from a 6-1 deficit to edge Carrie Jeanmaire and Emily Dudzik, 8-6.
The Golden Gophers then clinched the team win with a 3-3 mark in singles play. Mousseau opened the matches with a straight-set win at No. 6 before WMU made it 2-1 with a victory at No. 4. Minnesota then posted three straight wins at Nos. 5, 2 and 1 to gain the season-opening win.
At No. 5, Chiarelli downed Moccia, 6-4, 6-3 before Tijana Koprivica lost her first career dual match as a Golden Gopher with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 loss to Kerstin Pahl at No. 2. The Maroon and Gold clinched the dual win at No. 1 as Schellhas prevailed in a three-set, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 match over Jeanmaire.
Minnesota heads to tomorrow's 1p.m., championship match to face 18th-ranked Wake Forest, a 5-2 winner over No. 62 South Alabama. Western Michigan takes on USA at 9 a.m., in the third-place match
Minnesota vs. Western Michigan
Jan. 27, 2007
Minnesota Court Classic - Semifinal
Baseline Tennis Center
Minneapolis, Minn.
Singles
1. Ashley Schellhas (MINN) def. Carrie Jeanmaire (WMU), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
2. Kerstin Pahl (WMU) def. Tijana Koprivica (MINN), 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
3. Priyanka Parekh (WMU) def. Lindsay Risebrough (MINN), 6-2, 6-7, 6-2
4. Noriko Saruta (WMU) def. Ida Malmberg (MINN), 6-4, 6-0
5. Karina Chiarelli (MINN) def. Ashley Moccia (WMU), 6-4, 6-3
6. Danielle Mousseau (MINN) def. Emily Dudzik (WMU), 6-0, 6-2
Order of finish: 6,4,5,2,1,3
Doubles
1. Chiarelli/Schellhas (MINN) def. Moccia/Saruta (WMU), 8-6
2. Pahl/Parekh (WMU) def. Koprivica/Risebrough (MINN), 8-5
3. Malmberg/Mousseau (MINN) def. Dudzik/Jeanmaire (WMU), 8-6
Order of finish: 2,1,3
Minnesota def. Western Michigan, 4-3
