BIG SKY TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS TO BE REPEAT OF LAST SEASON
4/25/2009
GOLD RIVER, Calif. — Sunday's Big Sky Tennis Championship finals will have a familiar look at the Gold River Racquet Club. Wins by top-seeded Sacramento State men's and women's teams as well as victories by the Eastern Washington men and Northern Arizona women have set up rematches of last seasons championship matches.
The Sacramento State men posted the first win of the day, blanking Montana, 4-0. The Hornets won doubles and then dropped only nine games in the three completed singles matches. The three singles wins were by Kiryl Harbatsiuk at No. 1 (6-1, 6-3), Jason Smith at No. 2 (6-0, 6-2) and Marko Starcevic at No. 4 (6-3, 6-0).
Eastern Washington also posted a 4-0 win in the semifnals. The Eagles jumped ahead of Montana State with a pair of wins in doubles play. EWU then earned a victory at No. 4 from Kyle Schraeder, 6-4, 6-4. Daniel Pez followed with a 6-4, 6-4, win at No. 6 and Art Karas won 6-4, 6-2, at No. 3.
In women's action, the Hornet women downed Northern Colorado, 4-0, to stretch its winning streak to 61 consecutive matches against Big Sky opponents. Sacramento State dropped just three games en route to clinching the doubles point. The team then received victories in singles play from Joyce Martinez at No. 5 (6-0, 6-0), Katrina Zheltova at No. 1 (6-3, 6-1) and Aileen Tsan at No. 6 (6-0, 6-1).
Northern Arizona continued its hot play with its second win in as many days. The third-seeded Lumberacks defeated second-seeded Montana State, 4-1. After MSU won the doubles points with victories in the Nos. 2 and 3 matches, NAU rallied back to win four singles contests.
Kim Van Ginkel recorded the first point for Northern Arizona with a 6-4, 6-3, win at No. 3. Edit Suhajda added a 6-2, 6-4 win at the top of the ladder and was followed by a 6-2, 6-2, win from Leslie Vial at No. 4. The deciding point was won by Yumi Hasegawa with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 6.
The men's final will start at 10 a.m. and the women will get under way at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.
GOLD RIVER, Calif. — Sunday's Big Sky Tennis Championship finals will have a familiar look at the Gold River Racquet Club. Wins by top-seeded Sacramento State men's and women's teams as well as victories by the Eastern Washington men and Northern Arizona women have set up rematches of last seasons championship matches.
