Nov. 8, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue women's tennis player Hala Sufi continued to impress on the second day of action at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday.
Sufi, a freshman from Tucson, Ariz., recorded a win over a seeded player for the second straight day by outlasting top-seeded Saras Arasu of Duke in a consolation match. Arasu retired after falling behind 6-2, 1-0. On Friday, Sufi beat fifth-seeded Tracie Chong of Rice in three sets.
Purdue head coach Mat Iandolo has not been surprised by Sufi's early success.
"Hala is an outstanding player," Iandolo said. "She thrives against tough competition."
The competition has been stiff in Tempe, where 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams from some of the nation's top programs hit the courts Friday. The three-day tournament will conclude Sunday.
On the docket for the final day of action includes consolation singles matches for Sufi and fellow freshman Alyssa Rodriguez, who came from behind to beat Kansas State's Maria Rosenberg 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday.
Also on tap is a potential consolation doubles match-up between Sufi and sophomore Brittany Reitz, against Rodriguez and junior Lara Burgarello. The former pair beat a mixed tandem of junior teammate Amy Walgenbach and Arizona State's Ebru Burduroglu 8-3, while the latter duo beat Kansas State's Haley McIver and Judith Diaz by the same score Saturday. Due to a semifinals default by California's fourth-seeded Jieun Jacobs and Catherine Lynch, Burgarello and Rodriguez already have advanced to the consolation championship match, and will await the winner of the match between their Boilermaker teammates and UNLV's twosome of Anne Claire Ortiz Luis and Claire Smith.
In another consolation singles match Saturday, senior Gretchen Haynor lost 6-3, 6-2 to Arizona State's Sabrina Cappanolo.
Complete results from the ASU Thunderbird Invitational can be found at www.thesundevils.com.
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