NORMAL, Ill. – One final tune-up remains for the Illinois State women's tennis team before starting Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend at Bradley in the form of a Tuesday matchup with in-state foe Northern Illinois. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at Chick Evans Field House in DeKalb, Illinois.
The Redbirds head into the match with and 11-7 overall record this spring and are fresh off a convincing 6-1 victory on Sunday against Saint Louis. The Redbirds took the early lead in the match, with the duo of Tijana Zlatanovic and Tara Damnjanovic and the No. 3 tandem of Penelope Abreu and Othilia Brodin both winning their doubles matches to clinch the doubles point.
Damnjanovic and Abreu then picked up straight set wins in singles action at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots respectively and Elena Jankulovska clinched the victory for the Redbirds with her 7-6, 7-5 win at the No. 4 spot. That took the pressure off Zlatanovic and Brodin, who each fought back to win in three sets to bring the score to its final at 6-1.
Northern Illinois is 8-7 overall this spring and have won six of their last nine matches overall. The Huskies have posted a 2-2 record in Mid-American Conference action, including a 6-1 win over Buffalo last Saturday at the Shadow Valley Tennis Center.
The Huskies took the doubles point with wins at No.1 and No. 2 doubles. Maria Potsi and Anastasia Rakita took No. 1 doubles, 6-0, while Fernanda Naves and Lara Slisko scored a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles.
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Rakita and Christy Robinson extended NIU's lead to 3-1 with victories at No. 2 and No. 5 singles, respectively. Rakita won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, as did Robinson, 7-6 (7-0), 6-3. Potsi scored a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 1 singles, while Paula Veyhle posted a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 6 singles. Diana Lukyanova won her 12th straight match with a 6-4, 7-5, 1-0 win at No. 3 singles.
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