The senior earns the USTA/ITA Sportsmanship Award.

FLUSHING, N.Y. – Making her third appearance in a national semifinal, Husky senior Denise Dy fell just shy of reaching that coveted first final, as she lost a three setter to 10th-ranked Marta Lesniak of SMU at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships, held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

 

Dy had lost a three set match to Lesniak earlier this fall at the ITA All-American Championships, and today’s match was even closer, but just as frustrating for the Husky standout. Dy held a 5-3 lead in the first set, but wound up losing it in a tiebreaker. She then rolled to a 6-1 second set victory to force a decisive third set. Lesniak went up a break at 3-2, but Dy broke right back and then held for a 4-3 lead. Dy served again at 4-all, and saved three break points before losing serve on a fourth chance, and Lesniak would then serve it out for the 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-4 victory. She’ll face Florida’s Joanna Mather in the final.

 

Dy was given the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award by the USTA/ITA after the match. Her weekend was highlighted by a three-set win yesterday over California’s Jana Juricova, the top-seed and No. 1 ranked player in the country.

 

The San Jose, Calif. native is the first Husky ever to make three final fours in the three major national championships.

 

 

Washington Women’s Tennis

USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships

November 5, 2011 – Flushing, New York

Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

 

Main Draw Singles – Semifinals

(10) Marta Lesniak (SMU) def. (4) Denise Dy (UW), 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-4

 

(#) – refers to ITA national singles rankings; within this specific tournament, Dy is seeded 7th, Lesniak is unseeded.c