Steele and Cecil each post a pair of victories to advance; Cecil/Dieters win in doubles
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s tennis team wrapped up day three of the 2011 USTA/ITA Division 1 Women’s Midwest Regional Championships with two players alive in the singles main draw and one doubles duo remaining in the doubles main draw. The Buckeyes are hosting the event, which continues Sunday and runs through Tuesday, in the Ohio State University Varsity Indoor Tennis Center.
The duo of junior Kara Cecil and freshman Kelsey Dieters opened the third day of the event with a 9-7 victory over Patricia Fargas and Rebeca Mitrea of DePaul. The Buckeye tandem will face Michigan’s Brooke Bolender and Emina Bektas in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. Sunday.
In main draw singles, junior Gabby Steele scored a pair of victories to reach the Round of 16. Steele began the day with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Stacey Lee of Northwestern before advancing past Chelcie Abajian of Illinois in the second round, 6-2, 6-3. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native is scheduled to take on Patricia Fargas of DePaul at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Cecil punched her ticket to the Round of 16 as well after downing Julie Sabacinksi of Notre Dame in the first round, 6-4, 6-3, and Zara Harutyunyan of Akron, 6-3, 7-6 (3), in the second round. Cecil will face Notre Dame’s Shannon Mathews, the No. 2 seed in the draw, Sunday.
Dieters, Cecil’s doubles partner, found herself on the losing side of a 6-3, 6-1 decision against Northwestern’s Linda Abu Mushrefova in the first round of main draw singles. Dieters rebounded in consolation action, however, notching a victory against DePaul’s Kelsey Lawson, 2-6, 6-4, 10-6.
After earning a berth into main draw singles with three wins in qualifying singles, sophomore Tiffany Dittmer couldn’t find traction in her opening-round match against Notre Dame’s Katherine White as she fell, 6-3, 6-2. The Hamburg, Germany, native had a tough match in consolation later in the day, falling to Kristen Dodge of Michigan, 6-3, 6-1.
Dittmer’s classmate, Noelle Malley, dropped a first-round match against Mariya Kovaleva of Illinois-Chicago, 6-3, 7-5, after falling short in a second-set comeback. Senior Kelsey Haviland, who received a first-round bye, couldn’t advance past Wisconsin’s Nicky Stracar as she dropped the match, 6-3, 7-5.
Main draw action continues at the Varsity Tennis Center (880 Henderson Road) with doubles at 9 a.m. Sunday and singles set to begin shortly after at 11 a.m. For information, updated brackets and live stats visit Tournament Central.
