Liina Suurvarik recorded her first professional womens tennis win at the Swedish American Health System $25,000 Challenger, held in Rockford, Ill. Suurvarik defeated Tereza Vezerkova of the Czech Republic, who is currently ranked #356 in the world, to earn the victory.
Suurvarik won the tough three-set match 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11-9), before going on to loose in the next round to Melanie Gloria of Canada, currently ranked #347 in the world, 4-6, 7-6, 6-0. The win at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) sanctioned event marks the first WTA point for Suurvarik in her professional career. Illinois State head coach Chris Hoover was excited to see Suurvarik earn the win.
Its great to see Liina continuing to have success in her tennis career, said Hoover. Its a big accomplishment to beat ranked opponents, and a real credit to her.
Suurvarik, an Illinois State womens tennis stand-out from 2001-2004, ended her career with a long list of accomplishments, among them: she was the winningest singles (130 wins) and doubles (116 wins) player in womens tennis history, a three-time First-Team All-Conference pick at the No. 1 singles position, a four-time First-Team All-Conference pick at the No. 1 doubles position, earned All-District Academic honors, as well as second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in her senior year, and garnered Illinois State Female Athlete of the Year honors her last two years as a Redbird.
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