Michigan State University
UIC
No. 64 Women's Tennis Victorious In Home Opener
1/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 19, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's tennis team hosted Illinois-Chicago in its home opener at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility on Sunday (Jan. 19). The Spartans picked up their first win of the 2003 spring season as they defeated the Flames, 6-1.
MSU jumped out to an early lead Sunday morning winning all three doubles matches to gain their first point of the day against UIC. They continued on winning five out of six singles matches in convincing fashion to take their overall record to 1-2 on the season.
Junior Caroline Lay (Brisbane, Australia) and senior ?sa Lid?n (Vanersborg, Sweden) picked up their first wins of the season as they downed Nicole Derouin and Corey Steven 8-6 in the No. 1 doubles match. Lay, who is filling in for the injured Dora Vastag (Okemos) at the No. 1 singles position, also defeated Ayca Gumuscu 6-2, 6-2 in singles competition.
The youthful Spartans also picked up big wins from their freshmen and sophomores. Freshmen Jean Willman (Alberton, Australia) and Shelley Brady (Grand Blanc) defeated Gumuscu and Zvjedana Malesevic in No. 2 doubles 8-3 for their second win of the season. Willman also picked up her second singles win by defeating Corey Steven 6-2, 6-0 in the No. 3 singles match, while Brady allowed Zvjedana Malesevic to win only one game on her way to a 6-1, 6-0 victory in No. 4 singles.
"It is nice to play at home, the team is very supportive and we are playing confident," said freshman newcomer Willman. "All of our training is reassurance and we have been working really hard. All of the support makes you feel like you are part of a family; it boosts your confidence and gives you something extra to play for."
Spartan sophomores Kate Thomas (Long Beach, Calif.) and Karen Gustafson (East Lansing) defeated Zorica Malesevic and Athanasia Giannouloppoulou 9-8 (4) in a hard fought No. 3 doubles match. Thomas went on the win her No. 5 singles match against Zorica Malesevic 6-2, 7-5 to get her first singles win of the season. Gustafson picked up her second singles win in a three-set tiebreaker as she battled past Molly Smith 4-6, 6-3 (10-3) in No. 6 singles.
"It is great to pick up a win our first match at home. The younger ladies came through big today. We had a sharp performance; there was good discipline in our doubles matches. The team played smart but didn't overplay," said MSU assistant coach Brett Page.
The Spartans return to action to face Toledo in East Lansing on Sunday, Jan 26.
Final Results
Jan 19, 2003MSU def. UIC, 6-1MSU Indoor Tennis Facility, East Lansing
Singles1. Caroline Lay (MSU) def. Ayca Gumuscu (UIC) 6-2, 6-22. Nicole Derouin (UIC) def. ?sa Lid?n (MSU) 6-4, 6-03. Jean Willman (MSU) def. Corey Steven (UIC) 6-2, 6-04. Shelley Brady (MSU) def. Zvjedana Malesevic (UIC) 6-1, 6-05. Kate Thomas (MSU) def. Zorica Malesevic (UIC) 6-2, 7-56. Karen Gustafson (MSU) def. Molly Smith (UIC) 4-6, 6-3 (10-3)
Doubles1. Lay/ Lid?n (MSU) def. Derouin/Steven (UIC) 8-62. Willman/Brady (MSU) def. Gumuscu/Zvjedana Malesevic (UIC) 8-33. Thomas/Gustafson (MSU) def. Giannouloppoulou /Zorica Malesevic (UIC) 9-8 (4)
Players Mentioned
