Oct. 16, 2004
WACO, Texas - All five of Baylor's women's tennis players posted victories on Saturday in round of 64 action of the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest Women's Regional Championships at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. In addition, one of the Bears' two doubles teams advanced to the round of 16.
Texas A&M is hosting the tournament which features top players from 23 Division I schools. Top teams competing besides Texas A&M and Baylor are Tulane, Texas, LSU, TCU, SMU and Rice.
Four of Baylor's five singles players won their round of 64 matches in two sets. Zuzana Krchnakova posted a 7-6, 6-2 win over TCU's Karla Mancinas and Daniela Covello downed Megan Schmulbach of North Texas, 6-1, 6-0. Klara Zrustova made quick work of Houston's Sacha Gumbs (6-0, 6-1) and Iva Mihaylova defeated Tara Shelander of Lamar, 6-3, 6-2. Zuzana Cerna was the only Baylor player to be pushed to three sets. She won the first set against Diana Espinal of Louisiana-Monroe 6-4 but dropped the second 5-7 then proceeded to secure the win with a 6-4 third set score.
In doubles, the fourth seeded tandem of Cerna and Covello defeated Erin Hunter and Katja Kovacic of Texas Tech, 8-4. Krchnakova and Zrustova took on the tournament's No. 9 seed, Petra Dizdar and Ristine Olson of Texas, falling 8-4. Cerna and Covello now advance to the round of 16 and will play Houston's Diana Martin and Kami Miller. Krchnakova and Zrustova's loss drops them into the consolation bracket where they will face Camila Prado and Ctalina Villegas on Northwestern State. Both matches will begin at 3:00 p.m.
Results
Singles
Krchnakova def. Karla Mancinas (TCU) 7-6, 6-2
No. 9 Cerna def. Diana Espinal (UL-Monroe) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Covello vs. Megan Schmulbach (No. Texas) 6-1, 6-0
Zrustova def. Sacha Gumbs (Houston) 6-0, 6-1
Mihaylova def. Tara Shelander (Lamar) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles
Cerna/Covello def. Erin Hunter/Katja Kovacic (Texas Tech) 8-4
(9) Petra Dizdar/Ristine Olson (Texas) def. Krchnakova/Zrustova 8-4
Seventeen ITA Regional Championships for NCAA Division I men and women are taking place over these last two weekends of October at campuses throughout the country. The singles finalists and doubles champion from the regional competitions earn spots in the ITA/ National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, November 4-7, at the University of Michigan.
Sunday Schedule
Singles - Round of 32 - 9:00 a.m.
Krchnakova vs. (9) Helga Viera (Texas A&M)
(9) Cerna vs. Breda Kovac (SE Louisiana)
Covello vs. (9) Katie Ruckert (Texas)
Zrustova vs. (5) Helena Besovic (TCU)
Mihaylova vs. Kendra Strohm (Texas)
Doubles - 3:00 p.m.
Round of 16
Cerna/Covello vs. Diana Martin/Kami Miller (Houston)
Consolation
Krchnakova/Zrustova vs. Camila Prado/Ctalina Villegas (Norhtwestern State)
