April 26, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's tennis team fell 4-2 to No. 1 seed Minnesota in a seminfinal of the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday.
Minnesota won the doubles point, as it did two months ago when the two teams met during the regular season. The Boilermaker duo of sophomore Shawna Zuccarini and senior Missy Wright upended Minnesota's duo of Amy Thomas and Valerie Vladea 8-6 at the No. 2 spot, but the Golden Gophers won at No. 1 and No. 3.
Purdue scored its first point of the match at the No. 3 singles spot, as senior Melissa Iqbal defeated Thomas 7-5, 6-4. Sophomore Lara Burgarello scored the second and final point for the Boilermakers. Burgarello served Brandi Watts a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 loss at the No. 6 spot.
Minnesota went on to win at the No. 2, 4 and 5 positions to advance to the championship match on Sunday, April 27, at noon.
The Boilermakers, now 13-11, are hoping to gain an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. The 64-team bracket will be announced on Wednesday, April 30.
The 2003 Big Ten Championships are being hosted by Illinois at the Atkins Tennis Center and Illini Grove Courts. Full results from the tournament can be found at www.fightingillini.com.
#29 Minnesota 4, #42 Purdue 2
Doubles1. Buergis/Reddy (UM) def. Melissa Woods/Burgarello (PU) 8-42. Zuccarini/Wright (PU) def. Thomas/Vladea (UM) 8-63. Havelkova/Watts (UM) def. Haynor/Iqbal (PU) 8-6
Singles
1. Angela Buergis (UM) vs. Gretchen Haynor (PU) 7-6, 4-6, abandoned2. Valerie Vladea (UM) def. Amy Walgenbach (PU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
3. Melissa Iqbal (PU) def. Amy Thomas (UM) 7-5, 6-44. Michaela Havelkova (UM) def. Shawna Zuccarini (PU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-25. Nischela Reddy (UM) def. Missy Wright (PU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-26. Lara Burgarello (PU) def. Brandi Watts (UM) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2