The Milwaukee women’s tennis team encountered a close contest against Oakland in their Horizon League opener on Saturday afternoon, falling with a final score of 4-3 at River Glen Elite.
“The team fought super-hard,” said Milwaukee head coach Mark Goldin. “I have to give credit to Dave [Oakland head coach David Brown] and his group. They’ve improved a ton since the fall and they came ready to play today. We had a lot of fun on court and it was definitely a result I can live with given the way they fought throughout.”
The Golden Grizzlies secured the doubles point in a tightly contested match to gain an early advantage over the Panthers. Despite a strong effort during the singles matches, the Panthers were unable to secure the overall win.
“It came down to literally one point,” Goldin stated. “We had a few match points in doubles. I give Oakland credit for fighting as hard as we did but it’s definitely a result we can live with and be proud of for our fight.”
In doubles action, Milwaukee’s No. 3 team, featuring Emilia Durska and Elisa Rubio, managed a comeback victory, and the No. 2 team of Laure Razet and Nikola Nikolajeva, despite showing strong performance, fell short in a 7-5 decision.
The singles matches were fiercely contested, highlighted by Sara Simonova’s victory over Tara Montreuil at No. 6, and Nadiia Konieva’s triumph over Oakland’s Emilia Jarvinen on court one.
The action intensified with Razet also securing a win after a thrilling match against Warisara “Best” Lee. Durska showcased resilience, forcing a third set but ultimately falling short to Edie Hammond.
Next, Milwaukee will continue its Horizon League play on the road, facing Youngstown State on Saturday and Cleveland State on Sunday.
Oakland 4, Milwaukee 3
Singles competition:
1. Nadiia Konieva (MKE) def. Emilia Jarvinen (OU) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3
2. Nisa Bulut (OU) def. Nikola Nikolajeva (MKE) 6-3, 6-1
3. Laure Razet (MKE) def. Warisara “Best” Lee (OU) 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5)
4. Edie Hammond (OU) def. Emilia Durska (MKE) 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4
5. Martyna Piechowicz (OU) def. Elisa Rubio (MKE) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1
6. Sara Simonova (MKE) def. Tara Montreuil (OU) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles competition:
1. Emilia Jarvinen/Edie Hammond (OU) def. Nadiia Konieva/Sara Simonova (MKE) 6-3
2. Martyna Piechowicz/Tara Montreuil (OU) def. Laure Razet/Nikola Nikolajeva (MKE) 7-5
3. Emilia Durska/Elisa Rubio (MKE) def. Nisa Bulut/Warisara “Best” Lee (OU) 6-4
