April 1, 2011

• Final Stats

MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin women’s tennis team (11-6, 2-1 Big Ten) upset No. 60 Michigan State, 6-1, on Friday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. This was Wisconsin’s second Big Ten upset of the season, with the last one coming against then No. 59-ranked Minnesota on March 4.

The Badgers are off to one of their best seasons in the last 10 years and assistant coach Audra Cohen could not be more proud.

“I have not been this proud of this team since I’ve been here,” Cohen said. “The amount of effort that they put into the match today and the heart they poured out there on the court were just phenomenal.”

UW won two of three doubles matches and five singles matches. Four of the six singles matches resulted in third sets.

Wisconsin earned the doubles point with two victories at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.

Sophomore Hannah Berner and senior Jessica Seyferth earned their 14th win with an 8-3 decision over Whitney Wilson and Nicole Herzog. After losing the first game, they came back to win seven-straight. The Spartans followed the run with two wins of their own, but the UW duo put the match away in the eleventh game.

Junior Aleksandra Markovic and freshman Nicky Stracar finished first, defeating Valentina Rusakova and Michaela Silesova, 8-3, at No. 3 doubles. This was the first time the two players partnered up in a doubles match this season.

Freshman Jenny Hois and redshirt junior Alaina Trgovich dropped UW’s only doubles match at the No. 1 spot. They were defeated by No. 19-ranked Amy Barton and Marina Bohrer, 8-4, but fought their way back after starting down 6-2.

In singles play, Michigan State quickly tied the matchup 1-1 when Stracar lost to Bohrer, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 3 singles.

Berner then regained the lead for UW with a 6-2, 7-6 (7) victory over Wilson at No. 4 singles. Berner decisively won the first set, having never trailed, but had to pull out a 9-7 tiebreaker to win her second and final set.

Hois then pushed the Badgers’ lead to 3-1 with a win at No. 1 singles that went to three sets. Hois dominated the first, shutting out No. 121-ranked Barton, 6-0. She then dropped the next set, 6-3, but finished the match strong with a 6-1 performance in the final set.

Wisconsin clinched the win with a close matchup at No. 2 singles. Trgovich won the match in three sets, winning the first, 6-4, losing the second, 6-2, and pulled out a 7-5 victory in the third set.

After losing the first set, 6-0, Markovic came back to win straight-sets against Dana Geuntert. Markovic battled her way to a 6-3, 7-5 victory, extending UW’s score to 5-1 overall.

Seyferth also fought her way back after losing the first set against Silesova, 6-4. She won the next set by a close 7-5 margin and decisively claimed the third set, 6-2.

The Badgers will host No. 7 Michigan at 11 a.m. (CT) on Sunday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. UW has some tough Big Ten matchups moving forward, but Cohen thinks this may be a special season.

Doubles Results
1. #19 Amy Barton/Marina Bohrer (MSU) def. Jenny Hois/Alaina Trgovich (WIS), 8-4
2. Hannah Berner/Jessica Seyferth  (WIS) def. Whitney Wilson/Nicole Herzog (MSU), 8-3
3. Aleksandra Markovic/Nicky Stracar  (WIS) def. Valentina Rusakova/Michaela Silesova (MSU), 8-3 

Singles Results
1. Jenny Hois (WIS) def. #121 Amy Barton (MSU), 6-0, 3-6, 6-1
2. Alaina Trgovich (WIS) def. Valentina Rusakova (MSU), 6-4, 2-6, 7-5
3. Marina Bohrer (WIS) def. Nicky Stracar (MSU), 6-2, 6-3
4. Hannah Berner (WIS) def. Whitney Wilson (MSU), 6-2, 7-6 (7)
5. Jessica Seyferth (WIS) def. Michaela Silesova (MSU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
6. Aleksandra Markovic (WIS) def. Dana Geuntert (MSU), 0-6, 6-3, 7-5