Bradley University Athletics

Tennis Closes Home Stand Against State Rivals

Bradley Tennis will attempt to complete the best 10-match start in program history when it hosts Western Illinois and Chicago State this weekend

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Women's Tennis 2/22/2019 11:46:00 AM

PEORIA, IL – Bradley Tennis will attempt to complete the best 10-match start in program history when the Braves (6-2) host in-state rivals Western Illinois Saturday (12 p.m.) and Chicago State Sunday (2 p.m.) on the indoor courts at the Clubs at River City.

Bradley's six wins already have surpassed its 2018 total during a 5-15 campaign. While a split this weekend would give the Braves seven wins in their first 10 matches for the first time since 2014-15 (7-3), a weekend sweep of the Leathernecks (2-3) and Cougars (2-7) would put Bradley at 8-2 for the first time since 1992-93. As that 1992-93 start included three wins against lower-division competition, an 8-2 beginning would be Bradley's best 10-match mark against NCAA Division I opposition in the program's 42-year history.

While the team will be shooting for a historic start, senior Malini Wijesinghe (Apple Valley, MN/Apple Valley H.S.) also is playing for some history of her own. Wijesinghe enters the weekend third in program history with 119 combined career singles (68) and doubles (51) victories, just one win behind her former teammate, Ashley Thai. Wijesinghe shares the team lead with 24 combined wins so far this year, including a 7-1 mark at No. 3 Singles during the dual match portion of the season.

Freshman Bozana Lojpur (Burnaby, B.C./Burnaby Mountain Secondary) is the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Singles Player of the Week. A two-time winner of the award this year, Lojpur joins Wijesinghe with 24 combined wins this year, including a 6-2 mark at No. 2 Singles. Lojpur and Wijesinghe have teamed together at doubles all year, sporting an 11-6 overall record and 5-2 mark in the No. 2 position during the dual match campaign.

The Braves have won eight consecutive dual matches versus Western Illinois, though last year's contest resulted in a narrow, 4-3 Bradley win at the Clubs at River City. Bradley has won three straight against Chicago State to take a 12-4 lead in the overall series, also claiming a 4-3 decision last year against the Cougars.

Admission is free for all Bradley Tennis regular-season home matches.

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