Nov. 4, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The first day of the Schwartz Tennis Challenge wrapped up and the Purdue women's tennis team did a nice job of defending its home courts against some of the nation's toughest competition.
In the morning, the Boilermakers faced Vanderbilt in doubles action. At the No. 1 spot, the nation's No. 46 overall duo of Mara Schmidt and Jennifer Rabot topped Mira and Preeg, 8-4. At No. 2, Gisella Pere teamed with Imogen Golder to knock of Antal and Casares, 8-2. Anna Dushkina and Lynda Xepoleas completed the sweet for Purdue with an 8-2 win over Gornet and Radeva at No. 3.
Purdue didn't get any time off as it turned around and played Georgia Tech in doubles action immediately after. Though two of the matches were extremely close, the Yellow Jackets were able to sweep the Boilermakers. Blau and Kilborn knocked off Rabot and Schmidt at No. 1, 8-6. O'Neill and Anghelescu blanked Pere and Golder, 8-0, at No. 2. Wacker and Ngo knocked off Xepoleas and Daniela Vidal at No. 3, 8-6.
The Boilermakers then had some time to rest before they faced Vanderbilt in singles action. Xepoleas made her dual debut in the No. 1 singles spot against the No. 6 freshman in the country, Casares. The first set was back and forth before Casares prevailed, 7-5, and then the Commodore carried the momentum through the second set to win, 6-2. Rabot was impressive at No. 2 as she completed her win over Mira, 6-3, 1-6, 10-3. Schmidt also had a second set setback before clawing back to victory as she was victorious over Preeg, 6-3, 2-6, 10-3, at No. 3.
Vidal and Radeva battled back and forth throughout the entire match at No. 4, but it was Radeva that narrowly picked up with win, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7. Pere held on in the first set and then dominated the second to knock off Antal, 7-6 (1), 6-2, at No. 5. Dushkina rallied back from a second set slipup to beat the No. 50 player in the country at No. 6, 6-4, 1-6, 10-6.
The Boilermakers then had one more match before their day would be done, a Big Ten singles battle against Iowa. Rabot moved up to the No. 1 spot and dominated Talcott, 6-3, 6-0. Xepoleas picked up her first dual win at No. 2 as she defeated Zordani, 7-5, 6-3. Schmidt was victorious at No. 3 over Silver in a lopsided affair, 6-2, 6-1. Golder stepped back into the lineup at No. 4 and put together a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing of Harazin. Dushkina moved up to No. 5 and topped Majercik in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. The Hawkeyes earned their lone win at No. 6 as Escobar defeated Kay Kay Magi, 6-1, 7-6 (3).
Purdue will be back in action on day two of its Schwartz Tennis Challenge at 11:30 a.m. ET in singles play against a team from last year's Sweet 16, Georgia Tech. The Boilermakers also face Illinois in singles action at 4 p.m.