MADISON, Wis. – The No. 24 Wisconsin women's tennis team closed out the regular season in terrific fashion, beating No. 54 Purdue at Nielsen on Sunday. Not only was it a great win against a strong Big Ten side, it was also Senior Day.
 
The Badgers honored both Charmaine Seah and Ava Markham prior to the match. Seah entered the program in 2019 and posted a 14-11 overall record as a rookie, having a tied second most singles wins on the team in her debut year. Since then, she has finished with a record of 52-33 in singles and 27-35 in doubles. Markham joined the Badgers in 2018 and took the program by storm, residing in Demarest, New Jersey prior to joining Wisconsin. She is a 2018 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient, a four-time Big Ten Athlete of the Week, named to two All-Big Ten teams, 2021 All-Big Ten honoree and an ITA Midwest Region Senior of the Year. This season she was ranked as high as 44th in the country in singles and 54th in the country for doubles. Markham finished with a record of 67-36 in singles and 58-37 in doubles.
 
Markham and Sholokhova stole the show in doubles play, sweeping Tara Katarina Milic and Liz Norman 6-0. No. 82 Alina Mukhortova and Xinyu Cai proceeded to clinch the doubles point afterwards, beating Carmen Galladro Guevara and Csillar Fodor 6-1.
 
Taylor Cataldi once again got off to a fast start in singles play, beating Guevara 6-2, 6-4 to put the Badgers up 2-0. No. 125 Cai followed up with another great singles performance against Katarina Milic, winning 6-2, 6-2. Then, in a picture-perfect ending, No. 58 Markham sealed the win for the Badgers after beating Norman 7-6 (9-7), 6-3. It was only fitting for the senior to close out the victory at Nielsen.
 
The win brings the Badgers' regular season record to 18-5. The women's tennis program has only hit 18 wins in a season seven times in program history (37 years). Two of these 18-win seasons have now come under head coach Kelcy McKenna. Since 2000, McKenna has been the only women's tennis coach to have an 18-win season.
 
Next up, Wisconsin travels to Indianapolis, Indiana for the Big Ten Tournament. While the tournament officially starts on April 26, Wisconsin does not play until April 28 due to being the No. 4 seed. The team's opponent has yet to be decided but regardless the match is set for 11 a.m. (CT)

Sunday, April 23

Doubles against Purdue
Ava Markham/Maria Sholokhova (WIS) def. Tara Milic/Liz Norman (PURD) 6-0
#82 Alina Mukhortova/Xinyu Cai (WIS) def. Carmen Guevara/Csilla Fodor (PURD) 6-1
Charmaine Seah/Taylor Cataldi (WIS) vs. Juana Larranaga/Kennedy Gibbs (PURD) 3-3, unfinished
 
Singles against Purdue
#58 Ava Markham (WIS) def. Liz Norman (PURD) 7-6 (9-7), 6-3
#75 Maria Sholokhova (WIS) vs. Csilla Fodor (PURD) 6-3, 5-7, 1-3, unfinished
Taylor Cataldi (WIS) def. Carmen Guevara (PURD) 6-2, 6-4
Kennedy Gibbs (PURD) def. Alina Mukhortova (WIS) 6-4, 6-4
#125 Xinyu Cai (WIS) def. Tara Milic (PURD) 6-2, 6-2
Charmaine Seah (WIS) vs. Juana Larranaga (PURD) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0, unfinished
 
Result: Wisconsin 4, Purdue 1
 
Order of Finish: Singles (3,5,4,1,) Doubles (1,2)