NU Starts Strong in Wildcat Invitational

9/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

Sept. 26, 2014

Wildcat Invite Draws (PDF)

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern began its own Wildcat Invitational by going a combined 9-1 against the competition on the event's opening day.

With four players in California for the ITA All-American Championships, sophomores Brooke Rischbieth and Jillian Rooney and freshmen Alex Chatt, Erin Larner and Rheeya Doshi were strong competitors for the Wildcats on Friday.

Rooney won all four of her sets on the day, breezing past Oana Manole of UIC 6-0, 6-2 before advancing to the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Lolade Ogungbesan from Pittsburgh. Rischbieth also made quick work of her opponents, knocking off Andrea Marinovska of Eastern Michigan 6-4, 6-0 and Morgan Chumney from Oklahoma 6-3, 6-2.

The Wildcats' newest trio suited up for their first collegiate action Friday. Larner was dominant, defeating Hilary Hager of Michigan State, 6-0, 6-1 and Ani Gogvadze from Eastern Michigan, 6-2, 6-0. Doshi won a 6-1, 6-7 (3), 7-5 squeaker against Coleen O'Brien in the first round and then moved on to the quarterfinals by taking down Katie Brozovich 6-4, 6-0. Chatt won handily in her first match against Pitt's Amber Washington 6-1, 6-0 and won the first set against Yana Koroleva from Florida International, but Koroleva bounced back to win the match 4-6, 6-0, 6-4.

Friday's action also consisted of a round of doubles play. Rooney and Larner teamed up to win 8-6 over Meika Ashby and Tracy Kuhle of Western Michigan. The other Northwestern duo of Rischbieth and Chatt was narrowly defeated 8-7 (3) by Audrey Ann Blakely and Amanda Wickman of Pitt.

Matches will resume at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center. The second day will feature two rounds of both doubles and singles play.

The ITA All-American Championships also get underway Saturday from Pacific Palisades, Calif.

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