With another win, Dittmer earns berth in singles main draw
COLUMBUS, Ohio – On the first day of the USTA/ITA Division I Women’s Midwest Regional Championships, Ohio State women’s tennis sophomore Tiffany Dittmer bounced back from a deficit in the third set of her second round match against Youngstown State’s Marta Burak, rallying to advance with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) decision Thursday evening. The Buckeyes are hosting the event for the first time since 1999 and for the first time at the Varsity Tennis Center (880 Henderson Road).
“It was a great match on court one (between Dittmer and Burak),” Chuck Merzbacher, Ohio State head coach, said. “It was a three-hour battle with a lot of high quality tennis from both players, but it was great to see Tiffany pull that one out.”
While Dittmer earned a first-round bye, classmate Kelsey Becker faced Illinois-Chicago’s Elisa Simonetti in the opening round. The Buckeye sophomore dropped the first set, but held on in the second to take the second in a tiebreakers (7-6 (5). Simonetti pulled away in the third set, however, and finished with a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 victory. Becker struggled in her consolation match, dropping a 6-4, 6-3 decision to Akron’s Angelina Jogasuria.
Dittmer will continue her journey to main draw singles at 10:30 a.m. Friday on court four at the Varsity Tennis Center. With a win, Dittmer will earn a berth in the singles main draw.
Doubles action begins Friday afternoon. The Buckeye duo of Gabby Steele and Fidan Manashirova kicks things off at 2 p.m. against Cleveland State’s Sherwood and Janek. Dittmer and Becker follow shortly after, beginning at 3 p.m. against Akron’s Jogasuria and Jogasuria. Kelsey Haviland and Noelle Malley also face Jamieson and Allin of Illinois Friday.
The Scarlet and Gray duo of Kelsey Dieters and Kara Cecil will take on the winner of the match between Bowling Green’s Chricosta and Eccleston and Illinois-Chicago’s Kovaleva and Simonetti after earning a first-round bye.
For complete information on the tournament, including updated brackets and schedules, visit
Tournament Central.
