Women's Tennis | 10/01/2017

SPOKANE, Wash.—Idaho women's tennis hit the court for the first time as a team this season at the Gonzaga Bulldog Invitational.

Junior Maria Tavares and sophomore Maggie Chen headlined the tournament for Idaho.

Tavares took third overall in the Red Singles Draw. She opened with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Portland State's Brianna Thompson. Tavares fell short to Gonzaga's Nevada Apollo in three sets, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-1. Tavares moved on to the third-place match where she fended off Gonzaga's Graciela Rosas. She took the first set with a 6-3 win, but dropped the second 6-4. Tavares outlasted Rosas in the final set, 12-10, to finish the weekend.

Chen played out of the Zag Draw. She put together a 2-1 record, advancing to the finals. Chen scored wins over Eastern Washington's Marta Heinen, 6-2, 6-1, and Gonzaga's Katie Day, 6-1, 7-6(5). She met Gonzaga's Alex Bourguignon in the finals. Chen won the first set, 7-5, but could not hang on. Bourguignon took the final two sets, 6-4, 6-2.

Laura Sparato competed in the Red Draw. She got outed from the main draw in the first round but picked up her first win in the consolation semifinals. She won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, over Eastern Washington's Rylee Braeden. Sparato fell in the consolation final to EWU's Zoey Nelson, 6-1, 6-2.

Idaho's Marianna Petrei and Lucia Badillos were absent from the tournament. Both players competing at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif. The duo played as doubles to open the tournament. The pair fell to Old Dominion's Holly Hutchinson and Yulia Starodubtseva, 8-2, in the opening round of action.

Petrei will play in the tournament's singles draw on Oct. 3.

Singles
Red Draw
R1: Maria Tavares (UI) def. Brianna Thompson (PSU), 6-2, 6-0
R1: Michelle Lui (SU) def, Laura Sparato (UI), 6-3, 4-6, 6-0
SF: Nevada Apollo (GON) def. Maria Tavares (UI), 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-1
3rd: Maria Tavares (UI) def. Graciela Rosas (GON), 6-3, 4-6, 12-10

Red Draw Consolation
SF: Laura Sparato (UI) def. Rylee Braeden (EWU), 6-4, 6-2
Final: Zoey Nelson (EWU) def. Laura Sparato (UI), 6-1, 6-2

White Draw
R1: Shion Watabe (UI) def. Rachel Swindell (EWU), 6-0, 6-3
SF: Kate Ketels (GON) def. Shion Watabe (UI), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
3rd: Kyra Jung (SU) def. Shion Watabe (UI), 6-4, 6-4

Zag Draw
R1: Maggie Chen (UI) bye
QF: Maggie Chen (UI) def. Marta Helen (EWU), 6-2, 6-1
SF: Maggie Chen (UI) def. Katie Day (GON), 6-1, 7-6(5)
Final: Alex Bourgulgnon (GON) def. Maggie Chen (UI), 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

Doubles
Bulldog Draw
R1: Lui/Jung (SU) def. Tavares/Sparato (UI), 6-4

Bulldog Consolation
SF: Worrall/Nelson (EWU) def. Tavares/Sparato (UI), 6-4
7th: Tavares/Sparato (UI) def. Kuljanin/Nosek (BSU), 6-2
 
Zag Doubles Draw
R1: Valk/Upeniece (PSU) def. Watabe/Chen (UI), 6-4

Zag Consolation
Watabe/Chen (UI) def. Knecht (PSU)/Broussard (EWU), 6-3
Swindell/Heinen (EWU) def. Watabe/Chen (UI), 6-4
Watabe/Chen (UI) def. Lewis/Austin (EWU), 6-4