Sept. 26, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Sophomore Franziska Steinhardt has captured a spot in Sunday's Flight B single final as the Illinois State women's tennis team competed at the Kansas Invitational Saturday. Steinhardt advanced to the round three doubles final with junior Hannah Esker.
Steinhardt faced Mia Elmore (SLU) in the semifinals, besting her, 6-4, 6-0. Junior Carmen Peters fell to Erin Wilbert (KU), 6-1, 6-0, who Steinhardt will compete against in Sunday's singles final.
"I'm pleased with how Franziska turned out today," said head coach Chris Hoover. "We were hoping Franziska would have a break out this weekend and it happened."
In Flight A singles consolation play, senior Julia Zubkova beat Jenny Nalepa (SLU), 6-3, 6-4. Also in consolation play was freshman Aniko Kiss, who dominated Eva Dalvai (UMKC), 6-0, 6-0.
In doubles action, the Redbird duo of senior Natalia Lech and freshman Ariane Maack lost to Erin Wilbert and Victoria Khanevskaya (KU), 8-2, and the pair of Peters and junior Maria Occhipinti fell to Maria Martinz and Alessandra Dzuba (KU), 8-2. Steinhardt and Esker defeated Mia Elmore and Jenny Nalepa (SLU), 8-3. The twosome has gone 3-0 this weekend and will compete against Kansas' No. 1 doubles team, Sara Lazarevic and Ekaterina Morozova, in Sunday's doubles final.
Finals play will continue Sunday at 9 a.m.
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