Bearcats Open Hoosier Classic With Strong Showing

CINCINNATI - The first day of competition at the 2019 Hoosier Classic fall tennis event came to a close Friday night at the Indiana University Varsity Tennis Courts with the players from the University of Cincinnati program posting a 10-2 combined record on the day, including identical 5-1 marks in singles and doubles. Three Bearcats made their collegiate debuts Friday as well with both Claire Koscielski and Kelli Niehaus each posting perfect 3-0 records.

// FLAWLESS FIRST DAY
Both Koscielski and Niehaus played their first collegiate matches in singles and left the court with a victory in hand. Koscielski had to battle to grab her first collegiate win as she took down Love-Star Alexis (Middle Tennessee State), 6-3, 1-6, 10-5, while Niehaus won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, over IU's Xiaowei 'Rose' Hu. The two Bearcats also were paired up in doubles play and posted back-to-back wins as well as the defeated Wright State's team of Luisa Pelayo & Jillian Milano, 6-4, before dispatching the MTSU duo of Zoe Klapman & Alexis, 6-2.

One other UC player posted a perfect 3-0 mark on the day as well and that came from Maria Santilli. In singles play, Santilli captured a straight-sets victory over IU's Annebelle Andrinopoulos, 6-3, 6-3, before teaming up with rookie Sofia Bruno to go 2-0 in doubles. The UC duo first defeated MTSU's Klapman & Alexis team, 6-0, before grabbing a 6-4 win over the duo of Anna Jones & Anna Marie Reynolds (Wright State).

// MORE DEBUTS
Bruno was the third newcomer to debut for the Bearcats today as she went 2-1 overall. Bruno opened her day with a loss in single to Valerie Riegraf (Western Michigan), 7-5, 6-1, before teaming up with Santilli to grab two wins in doubles.

Emma Miceli, a junior on the team, made her season debut today and also posted a 2-1 record. Miceli opened the day with a straight-sets win over Miami's Milan Lysova, 6-2, 6-3. She then teamed with Alexia Coutino for a pair of doubles matches that the UC duo split. First, they dropped a 7-5 score to the Louisville team of Raven Neely & Dina Chaika, but rebounded in the second round of doubles action with a 6-2 win over the IU team of Jelly Bozovic & Mila Mejic. Coutino, who was 4-0 in singles last week at Purdue, maintained her undefeated start to the season as she won in straight sets over Giulia Turconi (Marquette), 7-6 (5), 6-2.

// NEXT SERVE
Action continues Saturday with one round of singles starting at 10 a.m. and two rounds of doubles starting around 2:30 p.m.

2019 Hoosier Classic
IU Varsity Tennis Courts • Bloomington, Ind.
September 27 • Day 1
SINGLES (5-1)
Round One
Emma Miceli def. Milana Lysova (MOH), 6-2, 6-3
Claire Koscielski def. Love-Star Alexis (MTSU), 6-3, 1-6, 10-5
Valerie Riegraf (WMU) def. Sofia Bruno, 7-5, 6-1
Maria Santilli def. Annebelle Andrinopoulos (IND), 6-3, 6-3
Alexia Coutino def. Giulia Turconi (MARQ), 7-6 (5), 6-2
Kelli Niehaus def. Xiaowei 'Rose' Hu (IND), 6-2, 6-3

DOUBLES (5-1)
Round One (2-1)
Bruno/Santilli def. Zoe Klapman/Love-Star Alexis (MTSU), 6-0
Koscielski/Niehaus def. Luisa Pelayo/Jillian Milano (WSU), 6-4
Raven Neely/Dina Chaika (LOU) def. Coutino/Miceli, 7-5

Round Two (3-0)
Koscielski/Niehaus def. Zoe Klapman/Love-Star Alexis (MTSU), 6-2
Coutino/Miceli def. Jelly Bozovic/Mila Mejic (IND), 6-2
Bruno/Santilli def. Anna Jones/Anna Marie Reynolds (WSU), 6-4