Ohio State University Team Page

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 2009-10 season continued for the Ohio State women’s tennis team in Lexington, Ky., at the Kentucky Invitational over the weekend. Freshman Fidan Manashirova highlighted the Buckeyes’ tournament, winning the Flight C title with four wins, including three three-set victories. Classmate Gabby Steele advanced to the Flight B final, but was defeated in three sets in the championship match. 

 

Manashirova, in her first collegiate tournament, found herself as the winner of Flight C after posting four-consecutive wins, including three three-set victories. She defeated Anouk Foure of Eastern Kentucky after overcoming a slow start in the first match, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Manashirova then downed Kristina Minor of Illinois, 6-3, 6-4, and Abilene Christian’s Jaclyn Walker, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, before facing off against Vanderbilt’s Hannah Blatt and winning in a super tiebreaker, 7-6 (2), 0-6, 6-4.

 

Steele, in her first tournament as a Buckeye, fared well in Flight B, advancing to the flight championship match following straight-set wins against Maria Pryshlyak of Penn State, 6-1, 6-1, Paula Jaime of ETSU, 6-3, 6-4, and Heather Steinbauer of Vanderbilt, 6-4, 6-2. Steele met Alida Mueller-Wehlau of Armstrong Atlantic State in the final, but was defeated in a close third set after Steele rallied to tie the match at one set each (6-4, 3-6, 7-5).

 

Junior Cami Hubbs was the first of four Buckeyes to hit the court, defeating Marisa Lambropolous of Illinois, 6-4, 6-0, in Flight A singles. Hubbs then faced off against Lindsey Hardenbergh of Virginia in the Flight A quarterfinals but was knocked out in two sets, 6-2, 6-1. Hubbs also participated in a pick-up match, posting a win over East Tennessee State’s Andra Voinea, 6-2, 6-2.

 

Buckeye sophomore Kelsey Haviland also saw action in Flight A, starting off against Keilly Ulery of Vanderbilt. Haviland found herself in the consolation bracket after dropping two sets to Ulery, 6-4, 6-4. She then downed Breanne Smutko of Illinois, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 10-6, and Penn State’s Petra Januskova, 6-3, 6-3, before falling to Chelsea Preeg of Vanderbilt in the consolation final, 6-2, 6-3.

 

Hubbs and Haviland teamed up in doubles, moving to the consolation bracket after dropping a first-round match against eventual Flight A winners Lindsey Hardenbergh and Erin Vierra of Virginia, 8-4. The Buckeye duo would then win out in the consolation bracket after matches against AASU’s Beckmann and Mueller-Wehlau, 9-7, Lousville’s Mandy Brown and Sarah Miller, 8-2, and Illinois’ Lambropolous and Smutko, 8-6.

 

The Buckeye freshman pair of Manashirova and Steele met a similar fate, dropping their initial doubles match against Michigan’s Denise Muresan and Michelle Sulahian, 8-4. The two Buckeyes then met and defeated ETSU’s Jaime and Karina Kedzo, 8-3, Louisville’s Amelia Harris and Jo-Ann Van Aerde, 8-2, and Vanderbilt’s Blatt and Gornet, 8-4.