Women's Tennis: Burton Moves to Semifinals
October 04, 2008 02:47 PM | General
By Kelly Tuckwiller for MSNsportsNET.com
October 4, 2008
MORGANTOWN,W.Va. - West Virginia University tennis player Monique Burton moved on to the semi final round of competition at the Queen City Invitational today after defeating Sidney Bridger from Miami University.
The Fairmont, W.Va., native, defeated Bridger in a 7-5, 6-2 match.
"We had a nice start, and we looked very solid on big points and in tight matches," says Head Coach Marc Walters. "That's a reflection of our competitions coming in here, and in our ability to build on confidence by playing a tougher schedule. Both physically and mentally we were able to step it up all day, and it showed in tie-breakers and in our long three-setters."
Also having a solid first day for the Mountaineers were Ashley Pilsbury and Milica Pantovic, who each reached their flight semifinals in singles after three-set victories Friday. Pilsbury beat Eastern Kentucky's Alexandra Sitnikova in the first round 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 and then turned back Xavier's Tiffany Treece 6-1, 7-6 (5) to advance. Pantovic came back to defeat Cathy Starr of Xavier by the score of 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the "D" flight. She then won a 6-3, 6-0 decision over Dayton's Emily Buershen in the quaterfinal round.
In doubles play, Burton and Stephanie LaFortune earned a berth in the "A" flight doubles, upsetting the No. 2 seeded team from Miami by a score of 8-3. The semi-final win puts the duo into Sunday's final against top seeded Eastern Kentucky's tandem of Svetlana Pimenova and Sitnikova. It will be the first "A" flight final for a Mountaineer this fall.
The Mountaineers will continue play at the Queen City Racquet Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5.
