University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Compete in ITA Central Region Championship
10/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
The four Gophers competing are senior Alessandra Ferrazzi, junior Magdalena Wiecha, sophomore Alexa Palen and freshman Natallia Pintusava. All four are playing in the 64-player singles draw and Ferrazzi and Palen will team up for doubles play, as will Wiecha and Pintusava.
In singles, Ferrazzi will meet Manca Krizman of Drake in the first round. Krizman defeated Gopher Mariana Spilca earlier this year in the Drake Invitational. Krizman also has two doubles wins this year against the Gophers, one at the Drake Invitational and one at the UNI Fall Invitational.
Wiecha will face Oklahoma's Ana-Maria Constantinescu in singles. Wiecha is 5-2 in fall singles play this year, while her Sooner opponent is 1-2. Palen (3-3) drew Jamie Mera (3-4) of Missouri in the first round, while Pintusava (4-3) will play Kansas State's Karla Bonacic (3-3).
Ferrazzi and Palen, who recently won the doubles top flight at the Wildcat Invitational, received a first-round bye this week. They will play a tandem from either Oklahoma State or Western Illinois in the second round.
Wiecha and Pintusava won the doubles title in the second flight at the Wildcat Invitational and will play Jenny Herring and Menna Kamal of Arkansas State in the first round.
