Strong Start at MVC Tennis Individuals

Bradley advanced three singles players and a doubles team into the championship semifinals during the first day of action at the MVC Women's Tennis Individual Championships Friday

Bozana Lojpur Bradley Invitational Backhand

Championship Central

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Women's Tennis 10/5/2018 4:30:00 PM

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Bradley advanced three singles players and one doubles team into the championship semifinals in their respective flights to highlight the first day of action at the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Individual Championships Friday at Cooper Tennis Complex.

Overall, Bradley's seven players combined for a 7-6 record and six of the seven players picked up at least one singles victory during Friday's opening day, while the seventh received a consolation round bye into her flight's fifth-place match Saturday.

Strong start by the Braves during the opening day of the 2018 @MVCsports Women's Tennis Individual Championships! 🅱️🎾

Into the Flight Semifinals
1 Singles - Sandra Maletin
2 Singles - Bozana Lojpur
5 Singles - Nikki Perlwitz
2 Doubles - Lojpur/Wijesinghe pic.twitter.com/Yg1UY0mfWv
— Bradley Tennis (@BradleyUTennis) October 5, 2018

Freshman Bozana Lojpur (Burnaby, BC/Burnaby Mountain Secondary School) led the way for the Braves Friday, advancing to the semifinals in Flight 2 Singles, while also teaming with senior Malini Wijesinghe for a first-round win in the Flight 2 Doubles. Lojpur and Wijesinghe earned Bradley's lone doubles win of the day, earning a 6-3 victory against the Illinois State tandem of Fitzgerald/Kustkova. Lojpur then added her second win of the day against the rival Redbirds by taking a 3-set victory – 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 – against Illinois State's Natalia Bravo.

Sophomore Sandra Maletin (Belgrade, Serbia/Medicinska skola Beograd) remained unbeaten (7-0) in singles action this fall by winning her first-round match Friday in Flight 1 Singles, an impressive 6-3, 6-1 triumph against the host school's Alye Darter. Freshman Nikki Perlwitz (Weston, FL/Cypress Bay H.S.) earned Bradley's fourth first-round win of the day, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in her Flight 5 Singles opener.

Although Wijesinghe, Victoria Gonzalez and Kinga Kovacs all fell in their respective flight openers, they all bounced back with consolation draw wins Friday. After suffering a first-round loss Friday in Flight 3 Singles, Natalia Barbery received a consolation semifinals bye and will play for fifth place Saturday against Valparaiso's Meg Modesto.

Wijesinghe was leading 6-3, 2-0 in her consolation match in Flight 4 Singles when Valparaiso's Olivia Paradise retired. Gonzalez recovered from a third-set tie-breaker loss in her Flight 6 Singles opener to take a 7-5, 6-3 win against Missouri State's Mara Presot in the consolation round and Kovacs also bounced back from her first-round loss in Flight 7 Singles, taking a 6-2, 6-1 win against UNI's Morganne Borsh in the consolation round.

MVC Women's Tennis Championship | Friday Bradley Results
Flight 1 Doubles: Cardoso/Wei (SB) def. Barbery/Maletin (BU) 6-4
Flight 2 Doubles: Lojpur/Wijesinghe (BU) def. Fitzgerald/Kustkova (ILS) 6-3
Flight 3 Doubles: Darter/Presot (MSU) def. Gonzalez/Perlwitz (BU) 6-4

Flight 1 Singles: Sandra Maletin (BU) def. Alye Darter (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
Flight 2 Singles: Bozana Lojpur (BU) def. Natalia Bravo (ILS) 5-7, 6-4, 6-0
Flight 3 Singles: Sasha Bekirova (SB) def. Natalia Barbery (BU) 6-1, 6-2
Flight 4 Singles: Ellie Burger (MSU) def. Malini Wijesinghe (BU) 6-4, 6-2
Flight 4 Singles: Malini Wijesinghe (BU) def. Olivia Paradis (VU) 6-2, 2-0 retired
Flight 5 Singles: Nikki Perlwitz (BU) def. Vale Caro (UNI) 6-1, 6-2
Flight 6 Singles: Estelle Vanthier (ILS) def. Victoria Gonzalez (BU) 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (5)
Flight 6 Singles: Victoria Gonzalez (BU) def. Mara Presot (MSU) 7-5, 6-3
Flight 7 Singles: Olivia Fain (UNI) def. Kinga Kovacs (BU) 6-4, 6—0
Flight 7 Singles: Kinga Kovacs (BU) def. Morganne Borsh (UNI) 6-2, 6-1

MVC Women's Tennis Individual Championships | Saturday Bradley Matches
Flight 2 Doubles Semifinal: Lojpur/Wijesinghe (BU) vs. Bekirova/Ribeiro (SB)
Flight 1 Singles Semifinal: Sanda Maletin (BU) vs. Carmen Palumbo (DU)
Flight 2 Singles Semifinal: Bozana Lojpur (BU) vs. Maria Ribeiro (SB)
Flight 5 Singles Semifinal: Nikki Perlwitz (BU) vs. Kelsey Neville (DU)
Flight 3 5th-Place: Natalia Barbery (BU) vs. Meg Modesto (MSU)
Flight 4 5th-Place: Malini Wijesinghe (BU) vs. Kate Merrick (UNI)
Flight 6 5th-Place: Victoria Gonzalez (BU) vs. Anastasia Koniaev (SB)
Flight 7 5th-Place: Kinga Kovacs (BU) vs. Alexia Meyer (MSU)

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