sinThe 69th-ranked University of Minnesota women's tennis team lost its Big Ten opener tonight, falling 5-2, to No. 58 Iowa in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Hawkeyes won the doubles point and went 4-2 in singles play to hand the Golden Gophers (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten) their first loss since Feb. 13 vs. Kentucky.

Iowa opened the dual with three wins in doubles to gain the early lead. After 8-2 and 8-0 wins at Nos. 1 and 3, the Hawkeyes completed the sweep with Anastasia Zhukova and Hilary Tyler downing UM's Jane Anderson and Lindsay Risebrough, 8-7, in a tiebreaker.

In singles play, the Golden Gophers failed to rally, but sophomore Ida Malmberg posted one of the biggest wins of her career, defeating 78th-ranked Hillary Mintz, 3-6, 6-3, (10 -5), at the No. 2 spot. With the win, Malmberg improved to 6-2 this spring and 12-8 overall this season.

The Maroon and Gold picked up its only other victory at No. 5 as Risebrough moved her spring record to 3-0 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Tyler. At No. 1, 74th-ranked Reddy lost only her second match of the spring, falling 6-3, 6-4 to Meg Racette.

The Golden Gophers stay on the road to face Drake on Sunday, March 6, at 12 p.m.

#69 Minnesota at #58 Iowa
March 4, 2005
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Singles
1. Meg Racette (UI) def. #74 Nischela Reddy (MN), 6-3, 6-4
2. Ida Malmberg (MN) def. #78 Hillary Mintz (UI), 3-6, 6-3, (10-5)
3. Anastasia Zhukova (UI) def. Jane Anderson (MN), 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
4. Milica Veselinovic (UI) def. Danielle Mousseau (MN), 6-4, 6-3
5. Lindsay Risebrough (MN) def. Hilary Tyler (UI), 6-2, 6-4
6. Jacqueline Lee (UI) def. Marina Bugaenco (MN), 6-2, 6-2

Doubles
1. Mintz/Racette (UI) def. Malmberg/Reddy (MN), 8-2
2. Zhukova/Tyler (UI) def. Anderson/Risebrough (MN), 8-7 (5)
3. Morgan Tuttle/Veselinovic (UI) def. Bugaenco/Mousseau (MN), 8-0

#58 Iowa def. #69 Minnesota, 5-2