University of Minnesota Athletics
Pintusava Advances To Final Of ITA Regional
10/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Freshman Natallia Pintusava won both her quarterfinal and semifinal matches on Sunday at the USTA/ITA Central Region Championship in Fayetteville, Ark., and will play for the title on Monday. The event, which is being contested at the Dills Indoor Stadium and the Billingsley Center, began on Friday and ends tomorrow.
Pintusava rallied to beat Big Ten rival Sonja Molnar of Iowa 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals and then quickly disposed of Wichita State junior and second seeded Lutfiana Budiharto 7-6, 6-4 to advance to the final. The Minsk, Belarus, native will meet No. 1-seed Anouk Tigu from Arkansas for the championship on Monday.
"Natallia has shown a lot of improvement in the past few weeks and she's played very well all weekend," coach Tyler Thomson said. "Tomorrow's final will be a great opportunity, and I know she's prepared to do well."
Joining Pintusava in the 64-player field were senior Alessandra Ferrazzi, junior Magdalena Wiecha and sophomore Alexa Palen.
Ferrazzi and Palen, who recently won the top doubles flight at the Wildcat Invitational, advanced to the semifinals this week before falling 8-2 to Tigu and her partner Claudine Paulson from Arkansas on Sunday.
