Results

FOX POINT, Wis. - Following Saturday's singles matches at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic, head coach Tina Samara lamented the fact that her Badgers did not finish well against Cincinnati. One day later, she had to be pleased with the way her Wisconsin women's tennis team closed the three-day event.

The Badgers got payback against Cincinnati, taking all three doubles matches against the Bearcats before wrapping up the tournament by taking four of six from Marquette on the singles courts.

Wisconsin swept the MTC doubles awards as Sydney Rider and Ekaterina Stepanova capped off their dominant weekend by taking down Katya Bure and Harley Hutchinson, 6-1. The duo finished undefeated in three matches to take first place overall. Lauren Burich and Kelsey Grambeau earned second place honors by closing out their 3-0 weekend with a victory over Antonella Bramato and Ali Miller, 6-3.

Lauren Chypyha and Kendall Kirsch picked up where they left off Saturday by picking up a victory over Kelly Poggensee-Wei and Lauren Bellinger, 6-1.

The Badgers also looked impressive on the singles courts as Chypyha and Kirsch claimed first and second place overall. Chypyha won her third match in three days, capping off a championship effort with a victory over Silvia Ambrosio of Marquette, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. Kirsch took down Diana Tokar, 6-0, 6-3, to take hold of second place in singles.

"I have to point out the tremendous play of freshman Kendall Kirsch," said Samara of the Long Grove, Illinois, native who is a perfect 6-0 on the fall. "To come in and be undefeated after two fall events is extremely impressive."

UW also picked up victories on the singles courts from Stepanova and Maria Avgerinos, who took down Erin Gebes and Paula Tormos Sanchez, 6-1, 6-2, and 6-2, 6-2, respectively.

"Overall we are very happy with the progress the team made this weekend," Samara added. "As expected, we slipped here and there, but there was clear improvement overall. If we continue to build and stay on this path I feel very confident in what the future will hold for this team."

The Badgers will look to build on the success of their first two tournaments of the year as they travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Gopher Invite on Friday, September, 25.

Results - Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015 Women's Doubles: Wisconsin vs. Cincinnati
Chypyha/Kirsch (UW) def. Poggensee-Wei/Bellinger (UC), 6-1
Rider/Stepanova (UW) def. Bure/Hutchinson (UC), 7-6
Grambeau/Burich (UW) def. Bramato/Miller (UC), 6-3

Women's Singles: vs. Marquette Wisconsin
Lauren Chypyha (UW) def. Silvia Ambrosio (MU) 1-6, 6-4, 7-5
Ekaterina Stepanova (UW) def. Erin Gebes (MU) 6-1, 6-2
Kendall Kirsch (UW) def. Diana Tokar (MU) 6-0, 6-3
Maria Avgerinos (UW) def. Paula Tormos Sanchez (MU) 6-2, 6-2
Courtney Hebard (MU) def. Lauren Burich (UW) 6-3, 6-3
Aleeza Kanner (MU) def. Nathalie Joanlanne (UW) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Kelsey Grambeau (UW) def. Leoni Daems (MU) 6-3, 6-4

Women's Singles Champion: Lauren Chypyha, Wisconsin
Women's Singles Runner-up: Kendall Kirsch, Wisconsin
Women's Doubles Champion: Sydney Rider/Ekaterina Stepanova, Wisconsin
Women's Doubles Runner-up: Lauren Burich/Kelsey Grambeau, Wisconsin
 

Despite a few struggles on the singles courts, the Badgers were able to continue their winning ways into day two of the Milwaukee Tennis Classic by winning all four doubles matches over Florida International, followed by claiming five out of nine singles matches against Cincinnati.

On Saturday, Lauren Chypyha paired up with Kendall Kirsch on court one to take down Maryna Veksler and Andrea Lazarro of FIU, 7-5. Sydney Rider and Ekaterina Stepanova, along with Lauren Burich and Kelsey Grambeau each took care of business by winning 6-4 over Carlotta Orlando and Nina Nagode, and Nerma Caluk and Sandra Honigova, respectively. The freshman duo of Nathalie Joanlanne and Caroline Hall paired up together to take the final doubles match of the day over Valentina Briceno and Kaitlin Brozovich, 6-3, on court four.

Following her victory from yesterday, senior, Lauren Chypyha swept Kelly Poggensee-Wei of Cincinatti, 6-3, 6-4. Fellow senior, Anastasia Tripolskaya, also played well by defeating Hannah Wille, 6-4, 6-3.

Freshman Kendall Kirsch remained undefeated on the fall season, dispatching Katya Bure, 6-1, 6-1. Fellow freshman Nathalie Joanlanne also picked up a victory for the Badgers by taking down Samantha Perry, 6-4, 6-2. Another big win for the Badgers came from sophomore Kelsey Grambeau as she cruised to victory after losing a tight first set, 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-0.

"We took care of business in doubles, but we were not happy with how we were in the singles this afternoon," said head coach Tina Samara. "We put ourselves in positions to win on multiple courts and just were unable to finish matches. We only won one out four third sets and that's just not acceptable at this level. Hopefully the team redeems themselves tomorrow morning in the doubles against Cincinnati."

The Badgers will wrap up the Milwaukee Tennis Classic on Sunday, September 20 at 9:00 a.m. (CT) on the doubles courts as they take on Cincinnati, followed by their singles matches vs. host, Marquette at 1:00 p.m.

Results - Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015
Women's Doubles: Florida International vs. Wisconsin
Lauren Chypha/Kendall Kirsch (UW) def. Veksler/Lazarro (FIU), 7-5
Sydney Rider/Ekaterina Stepanova (UW) def. Orlando/Nagode (FIU), 6-4
Lauren Burich/Kelsey Grambeau (UW) def. Caluk/Honigova (FIU), 6-4
Nathalie Joanlanne/Caroline Hall (UW) def. Briceno/Brozovich (FIU), 6-3

Women's Singles: Wisconsin vs. Cincinnati
Lauren Chypyha (UW) def. Poggensee-Wei (UC), 6-3, 6-4
Bellinger (UC) def. Maria Avgerinos (UW), 3-6, 7-6, 6-2
Kendall Kirsch (UW) def. Bure (UC), 6-1, 6-1
Miller (UC) def. Sydney Rider (UW), 6-7, 7-6, 6-3
Bramato (UC) def. Lauren Burich (UW), 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4
Kelsey Grambeau (UW) def. Abdalla (UC), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-0
Anastasia Tripolskaya (UW) def. Wille (UC), 6-4, 6-3
Nathalie Joanlanne (UW) def. Perry (UC), 6-4, 6-2
Hutchinson (UC) def. Caroline Hall (UW), 7-6, 6-3
 

The Wisconsin women's tennis team started the Milwaukee Tennis Classic the same way it wrapped up the UNC-Wilmington Invite the weekend before - by racking up wins.

On Friday's opening day of action at The Town Club in Fox Point, the Badgers grabbed wins in five of six singles matches vs. Florida International before winning two of three doubles contests against host Marquette.

A week after posting 3-0 records in the season-opening tournament, sophomore Ekaterina Stepanova and freshman Kendall Kirsch stayed hot, tallying straight-set wins over FIU. Stepanova cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Carlotta Orlando while Kirsch surrendered just two points to Andrea Lazaro, winning 6-0, 6-2.

Senior Lauren Chypyha saw her first action of the fall season and after edging out a 7-6 first set over Maryna Veksler, clinched the match by winning 6-2 in the second set.

Junior Sydney Rider out-lasted Nerma Caluk in a three-set battle, winning 7-6, 4-6, 6-3. Junior Maria Avgerinos rounded out Wisconsin's five singles wins by defeating Nina Nagode, 6-2, 6-2.

"I was very pleased with the energy that all players brought to today's matches," head coach Tina Samara said. "We have been preaching the importance of this since day one and I feel it really helped bring us to a new level against two solid opponents today."

In doubles action, senior Lauren Burich teamed with sophomore Kelsey Grambeau to knock off Marquette's Courtney Hebard and Leoni Daems, 6-2. Rider and Stepanova improved to 3-1 on the fall season with a 6-4 win over Diana Tokar and Aleeza Kanner.

The Milwaukee Tennis Classic continues on Saturday as the UW women take on Florida International in doubles action at 9 a.m. (CT) before facing Cincinnati in singles play at 3 p.m. (CT).

Results - Friday, Sept. 18, 2015
Wisconsin vs. Florida International (Singles)
Chypyha (UW) def. Veksler (FIU), 7-6, 6-2
Stepanova (UW) def. Orlando (FIU), 6-1, 6-3
Kirsch (UW) def. Lazaro (FIU), 6-0, 6-2
Avgerinos (UW) def. Nagode (FIU), 6-2, 6-2
Rider (UW) def. Caluk (FIU), 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
Honigova (FIU) def. Burich (UW), 6-3, 6-2

Wisconsin vs. Marquette (Doubles)
Ambrosio/Gebes (MU) def. Chypyha/Kirsch (UW), 6-2
Rider/Stepanova (UW) def. Tokar/Kanner (MU), 6-4
Burich/Grambeau (UW) def. Hebard/Daems (MU), 6-2