LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The University of Iowa women’s tennis team ended day one of the Watanabe Classic with a combined four wins on Friday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
In doubles, Vipasha Mehra and Daianne Hayashida beat Skrobonja/Detkovskaya of San Diego State, 7-5, to advance to the semifinals. Pia Kranholdt and Anya Lamoreaux also recorded a 7-5 win in the quarterfinals against Utah’s Young/Teixido. Marisa Schmidt and Samantha Mannix fell to Ramstedt/Dondanay of Long Beach State, 6-4.
Mehra started off singles play with a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Zita Kovacs of Nevada in the quarterfinals. Kranholdt also won in the quarterfinals, bouncing Nevada’s Aura Fang in three sets, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5. Both Hawkeyes advanced to the semifinals on Saturday.
Schmidt dropped her singles match against Anastasia Goncharova of Utah, 6-2, 6-2. Mannix lost to San Diego State’s Dariya Detkovskaya in a hard fought three-set match, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Lamoreaux fell to Justine Dondonay of Long Beach State, 6-3, 6-4. Hayashida retired her singles match due to illness.
The Hawkeyes will compete in day two of the Watanabe Classic on Saturday with doubles semifinals followed by singles semifinals.