Results
Minneapolis, MN - It was a fun-filled finish to an impressive weekend for Lauren Chypyha who went 5-0 this weekend at the Gopher Invite in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Chypyha, who met follow Badger,
Kendall Kirsch, in the A Flight championship match, took the match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, to remain an undefeated 8-0 on the year. The loss for Kirsch was her first of the season, as she now sits at an impressive 10-1 in her first collegiate season.
"I'm very happy we had two players in the final," head coach
Tina Samara stated. "Kendall held her own considering the circumstances. I think she's going to do some great things for us in the future. This was a great tournament for Chypyha (Lauren) leading into the All-American tournament as well."
Junior
Maria Avgerinos also topped off a great weekend with a fourth place overall in the A flight.
"Overall, we had a great tournament but we were a little inconsistent at times with how we played," added Samara. "Now that we are home and a few weeks we need to really work on making sure we do things consistently leading into the next tournaments."
Chypyha will head to the ITA All-American Invite on Saturday, October 3, but as a team the Badgers will next take the courts next on October 9 for the Beach Tennis Tournament in Long Beach, California.
Results: Sunday, September 28, 2015 - Doubles
Lauren Chypyha / Kendall Kirsch def. Ante/Herder (*) 6-2
Otero/Courter (*) def. Lauren Chypyha / Kendall Kirsch 6-3
Lauren Burich / Kelsey Grambeau def. Galvis/Espindola (ISU) 6-3
Merzbacher/Safdar (MN) def. Lauren Burich / Kelsey Grambeau 7-6 (5)
Rudico/C. Forlini (AFA) def. Nathalie Joanlanne / Sydney Rider 6-2
Nathalie Joanlanne / Sydney Rider def. Lee/Kaslingam (UND) 6-2
Singles
Lauren Chypyha def. Kendall Kirsch 6-2, 6-2
J. Mozia (MN) def. Maria Avgerinos
Sydney Rider def. F. Magni (SDSU) 6-2, 6-0
Kelsey Grambeau def. E. Barnickel (AFA) 1-6, 6-2, 13-11
Lauren Burich def. C. Toledo (ISU) 6-4, 1-6, 10-4
Nathalie Joanlanne def. E. Youle (NIU) 6-3, 6-2
Flight A
1st - Chypyha
2nd - Kirsch
4th - Avgerinos
Flight B
5th - Grambeau
7th - Rider
9th - Burich
Flight C
5th - Joanlanne
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Sept. 26, 2015
When the Gopher Invitational brackets were announced, the Badgers had three of the 32 entrants in the A flight. All three would make the semifinals on Saturday with senior Lauren Chypyha and freshman Kendall Kirsch reaching the championship match against each other on Sunday.
Chypyha snuck past teammate Maria Avgerinos in the first semifinal, taking both sets, but not without a struggle. Chypyha moved to 7-0 on the fall with a 7-6 (3), 6-4, win over Avgerinos to advance to the championship match. Kirsch will await Chypyha in the finals after she breezed past Minnesota's Jessika Mozia, 6-2, 6-2 in the second semifinal. With four wins in two days of the Gopher Invite, Kirsch moves to 10-0 on her young collegiate career.
"To have all three of our A draw players reach the semis says a lot about this group," head coach Tina Samara said Saturday. "Tomorrow, as coaches, we will be able to sit back and enjoy the battle."
Senior Lauren Burich added a pair of singles victories for UW in the B flight alongside Kelsey Grambeau who picked up a victory as well. Nathalie Joanlanne also came out victorious for Wisconsin in the C flight.
Despite going 3-3 on the doubles courts and posting an overall singles record of 9-5 on the day, Samara felt the Badgers took an important step regarding success as a team moving forward.
"We are much happier with the energy and the player's commitment to their development today," Samara added. "Even though we lost a few matches we improved from the experience."
Coincidentally, the pair that will square off in the singles championship, have been quite a doubles duo as well. Chypyha and Kirsch claimed a pair of doubles victories Saturday, moving to 4-0 on the weekend. Burich and Grambeau recorded the other doubles win for UW, bouncing back from an earlier setback.
The Badgers will wrap up play on Sunday, Sept. 27, for day three of the Gopher Invite.
Results: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015 - Doubles
Lauren Chypyha - Kendall Kirsch def. Davies/Rossa (SDSU) 7-5
Lauren Chypyha - Kendall Kirsch def. Safdar/Effe (MN) 6-4
Brills/Ryba (*) def. Lauren Burich - Kelsey Grambeau 6-4
Lauren Burich - Kelsey Grambeau def. Landram/Stapper (AFA) 6-1
Hawes-Lay/Sauza (SDSU) def. Nathalie Joanlanne - Sydney Rider 7-6 (6)
Pavlovic/Kranendonk (USD) def. Nathalie Joanlanne - Sydney Rider 6-4
Singles
Lauren Chypyha def. M. Safdar (MN) 6-3, 6-1
Maria Avgerinos def. S. Budai (ISU) 6-1, 6-2
Lauren Chypyha def. Maria Avgerinos 7-6 (3), 6-4
Kendall Kirsch def. A. Osabuohein (NIU) 6-3, 6-2
Kendall Kirsch def. J. Mozia (MN) 6-2, 6-2
Lauren Burich def. Souza (SDSU) 6-2, 6-2
Lauren Burich def. Rudico (AFA) 6-0, 6-0
M. Frogner (SIUE) def. Kelsey Grambeau 6-0, 6-4
Kelsey Grambeau def. F. Magni (SDSU) 6-3, 6-3
C. Merzbacher (MN) def. Sydney Rider 6-3, 6-1
E. Barnickel (AFA) def. Sydney Rider 7-6 (2), 6-2
M. Steffes (SIEU) def. Nathalie Joanlanne 6-7 (3), 6-2, 1-0 (2)
Nathalie Joanlanne def. L. Bender (ISU) 6-4, 6-3
Sept. 25, 2015
From a wins and losses standpoint, day one of the Gopher Invitational was a success. But despite posting a 12-1 singles mark overall and winning four of six doubles matches, the Badgers left the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis courts wanting more.
"We won a fair amount of matches but I felt we took a step back in our energy level and commitment to improving," said head coach Tina Samara. "We have to stop being so focused on winning right now to where it sacrifices making the improvements needed for or mid and long term goals."
Leading the way for the Badgers and extending their undefeated singles records were senior Lauren Chypyha and freshman Kendall Kirsch who each won both of their matches to advance to the round of eight in the A flight. Also joining them in the round of eight in the A flight is junior Maria Avgerinos.
Senior Lauren Burich added a victory for UW in the B flight before falling in the round of 16. However, sophomore Kelsey Grambeau and junior Sydney Rider were each able to prevail and advance to the round of 8. Nathalie Joanlanne also added a victory for the Badgers in the C flight to advance to the round of 8.
In doubles action, the duo of Chypyha and Kirsch took care of business winning each of their doubles matches on Friday. Grambeau and Burich bounced back from a tough tie-breaking loss in the opening round to post an impressive 6-2 win in the consolation bracket. Joanlanne and Avgerinos experience similar results, regrouping from a first-round setback to beat South Dakota State's Tracy Haws-Lay and Morgan Brower, 6-3.
The Badgers will continue singles and doubles play on Saturday. In the quarterfinals of the top singles flight, Chypyha squares off with Minnesota's Mehvish Safdar, Avgerinos will meet Samantha Budai of Iowa State and Kirsch will meet Northern Illinois' Adey Osabuohein.
Gopher Invitational Results
Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 - Women's Singles
Lauren Chypyha def. J. Stroobant (UNI) 6-4, 6-0
Lauren Chypyha def. M. Ante (*) 6-4, 6-1
Maria Avgerinos def. M. Krutak (SIUE) 6-4, 6-1
Maria Avgerinos def. C. Vargas (MN) 6-3, 7-5
Kendall Kirsch def. E. Lopez (UNI) 6-3, 6-1
Kendall Kirsch def. R. Espindola (ISU) 6-1, 6-2
Lauren Burich def. M. Yunker (UND) 7-5, 6-1
E. Branackle (AFA) def. Lauren Burich 6-1, 6-4
Kelsey Grambeau def. L. Forlini (AFA) 0-6, 7-5, 1-0 (8)
Kelsey Grambeau def. E. Kranendonk (USD) 6-0, 6-1
Sydney Rider def. E. Small (UNI) 6-1, 6-4
Sydney Rider def. A. Link (SIUE) 6-2, 3-6, 1,0 (1)
Nathalie Joanlanne def. H. Wich (USD) 6-2, 6-2
Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 - Women's Doubles
Lauren Chypyha - Kendall Kirsch def. Stroobant/Lopez (UNI) 7-5
Lauren Chypyha - Kendall Kirsch def. Buda/Bodadonna (ISU) 6-4
Hill/Krutak (SIUE) def. Kelsey Grambeau - Lauren Burich 7-6 (3)
Kelsey Grambeau - Lauren Burich def. Pavlovic/Kranendonk (USD) 6-2
Brills/Bergman (*) def. Nathalie Joanlanne - Maria Avgerinos 6-4
Nathalie Joanlanne - Maria Avgeinos def. Hayes-Lay/Brower (SDSU) 6-3
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