Tennis Breezes Through Day 1 of MVC Championships

Bradley Results

Josh Schwam, Athletics Communications Student Assistant Women's Tennis 10/8/2021 8:30:00 PM

VALPARAISO, IN – For the first time in Bradley Tennis history, the Braves will send seven singles players and all three doubles teams to the next round of the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships after a dominating performance that saw the Braves drop a mere two sets across eight singles matches on day one.

The Braves got off to a scorching start, with the Flight 1 Doubles tandem of Kirstin Hailey/Sandra Maletin winning its opening round match, 8-6 over Missouri State. Madalena Andrade/Maria Bezmenova followed shortly by winning 8-5 against Valparaiso.

With Bozana Lojpur/Nikki Perlwitz earning a first round bye in Flight 3, all three Bradley doubles teams advanced to Saturday's semifinals. This is the second consecutive MVC Individual Championships that all three Doubles Flights have advanced for the Braves.

Maletin got the singles success started for Bradley, breezing to a 6-2, 6-2 victory in Flight 1. Hailey was next to advance. After playing the first two tournaments of her career at Flight 4, she got the bump to Flight 3 and cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 win of her own.

The defending Flight 2 Champion, Lojpur's 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory marked her 53^rd career singles triumph, breaking a four-way tie and giving her sole possession of ninth place in program history in career singles wins.

Andrade was next in the victory column for Bradley, punching her ticket to Saturday's semifinal with a 7-5, 6-4 victory at Flight 4 Singles. Bezmenova followed with a 6-4, 7-5 victory at Flight.

Bezmenova's victory was her first in the MVC Individual Championships after last year's cancelation. The straight-set win also marked 10 consecutive singles sets for the Braves on the day.

The other defending champion, Perlwitz, raced through her first-round contest, 6-0, 6-0 in Flight 6.

Nina Marjanovic advanced in the main draw of Flight 7, gritting out a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory.

Pushed to the brink in the flight qualifying round Flight 7, Juliana Martinez toughed out a 2-6, 7-6 (4) 7-6 (6) victory. She was forced to pull out of her quarterfinal round match down 1-3.

The Braves are back in action tomorrow for the semifinal round. First serve is slated for 9 a.m. from the Valpo Tennis Complex. Updates will be provided throughout the day on BradleyBraves.com and on Twitter @BradleyUTennis.

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