Hawkeyes Take Down Illinois, 6-1

Hawkeyes Take Down Illinois, 6-1

April 23, 2005

URBANA, IL –

The 49th-ranked Iowa women’s tennis team took down 50th-ranked Illinois, 6-1, Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes improve to 13-7 overall, 7-2 in the Big Ten.

In doubles, Iowa took the No. 2 and 3 matches. Anastasia Zhukova and Hilary Tyler dominated Macall Harkins and Brianna Knue, 8-2, while Hillary Mintz and Jacqueline Lee defeated Pavlina Akritas and Momei Qu, 8-5. At the No. 1 spot, Meg Racette and Milica Veselinovic were barely edged by the 54th-ranked duo of Cynthya Goulet and Emily Wang, 8-6.

The Hawkeyes took five of six singles matches, with four going into three sets. Mintz earned the first Iowa singles win, defeating Harkins, 6-3, 6-3. Lee quickly followed with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Wang. Both Zhukova and Veselinovic won their first set, dropped the second set, and then came back in the third for wins. Tyler came from behind to down Alejandra Meza Cuadra, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Racette stuck with 34th-ranked Goulet, but was unable to take a win, falling 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Iowa is now guaranteed no less than a No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes are currently tied for second with Indiana.

Iowa will match up against Purdue tomorrow in West Lafayette at 11 a.m.

Results
#49 Iowa – 6

#50 Illinois – 1

Singles
1. #34 Cynthya Goulet (IL) def. Meg Racette (UI), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
2. Hillary Mintz (UI) def. Macall Harkins (IL), 6-3, 6-3
3. Anastasia Zhukova (UI) def. Momei Qu (IL), 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
4. Milica Veselinovic (UI) def. Brianna Knue (IL), 6-1, 5-7, 6-0
5. Jacqueline Lee (UI) def. Emily Wang (IL), 6-3, 6-0
6. Hilary Tyler (UI) def. Alejandra Meza Cuadra (IL), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1

Doubles
1. #54 Goulet/Wang (IL) def. Racette/Veselinovic (UI), 8-6
2. Zhukova/Tyler (UI) def. Harkins/Knue (IL), 8-2
3. Mintz/Lee (UI) def. Pavlina Akritas/Qu (IL), 8-5