Broncos Close First Day at Wildcat Invitational

EVANSTON, Ill. - Nini Sujashvili went 2-1 overall on the day, and the Western Michigan women's tennis team completed two rounds of singles and one round of doubles on the first day of action at the 2012 Wildcat Invitational. The Broncos will return to action with two rounds of doubles on Saturday.

Nini Sujashvili picked up an impressive regional win in the first round of the Green Draw singles bracket, defeating Illinois-Chicago's Keti Mebuke. Sujashvili came out quick against her opponent with a 6-2 victory in the first set, and held off Mebuke in the second for a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Sujashvili went on to the semifinals of the Green Draw, where she locked horns with Minnesota's Jessika Mozia. Sujashvili came back from a one-set deficit to tie the match at 6-4, 4-6, but Mozia edged Sujashvili in the third set for the win. Sujashvili will face Iowa's Ellen Silver on Saturday.

Sujashvili was also part of a successful doubles pairing on Friday, teaming with senior Jill Pastunink to take a win from the Oklahoma Sooners. Sujashvili and Pastunink went neck-and-neck with Zita Engbroks and Abbi Melrose, shutting the door on their Big 12 opponents in what ended up as an 8-6 win. Pastunink and Sujashvili will take on Kate Turvy and Alicia Barnett of Northwestern on Saturday.

Also victorious in singles play on Friday was sophomore Caroline Aleck, who bounced back from a loss in the opening round of the Green Draw singles bracket to win her first match in the back draw. Aleck defeated Wisconsin's Pernilla Wohlstrom in a runaway, downing her opponent 6-1, 6-1. Aleck will face the aforementioned Mebuke in the finals of the back draw.

Green Draw Singles
Nini Sujashvili (WMU) def. Keti Mebuke (UIC) 6-2, 6-4
Jessika Mozia (Minnesota) def. Nini Sujashvili (WMU) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
Ellen Silver (Iowa) def. Caroline Aleck (WMU) 6-1, 6-1
Caroline Aleck (WMU) def. Pernilla Wohlstrom (Wisconsin) 6-1, 6-1

Blue Draw Singles
Zita Engbroks (Oklahoma) def. Kelsey King (Western Michigan) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Zaina Sufi (DePaul) def. Kelsey King (WMU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Red Draw Singles
Natalia Kuvakina (UIC) def. Jill Pastunink (WMU) 6-2, 7-5
Yuliana Umanets (Minnesota) def. Jill Pastunink (WMU) 6-2, 6-2

White Draw Doubles
Pastunink/Sujashvili (WMU) def. Engbroks/Melrose (Oklahoma) 8-6

Black Draw Doubles
Mozia/Lambert (Minnesota) def. King/Aleck (WMU) 8-3