MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For Immediate Release-Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011
MAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Anastasia Dracheva, Miami - Senior, Moscow, Russia
Miami senior Anastasia Dracheva helped Miami to season-opening sweeps of local rivals Xavier and Dayton as she played No. 2 singles in both matches, losing just one game. Dracheva won 6-0, 6-0 on Saturday and 6-0, 6-1 on Sunday and was a part of the doubles team that clinched the doubles point both days. The doubles play was tied 1-1 both days when she teamed with freshman Nimisha Mohan for 8-5 and 8-2 wins.
Additional Nominees:
Nikki Chiricosta, Bowling Green - Freshman, Avon Lake, Ohio (Avon Lake High School)
Bowling Green freshman Nikki Chiricosta went 3-1 as the Falcons split a pair of matches vs. Big East Conference foes last weekend. Chiricosta was 1-1 in singles, with the loss coming in a third-set tiebreaker, and went 2-0 in doubles. At the third singles flight, Chiricosta extended Louisville's Becca Shine to a third set before losing. She teamed with fellow freshman Emily Reuland for a 9-7 win at the second doubles flight vs. Louisville and then, lost only three total games in her third-flight singles win over West Virginia's Mary Chupa (6-2, 6-1). Chiricosta teamed up with Reuland for an 8-3 win at the middle doubles flight. On the year, she leads the Falcons with 24 overall wins, including a team-high 13 singles victories.
Alexandra Cristello, Toledo - Sophomore, Toronto, Canada (Vaughan Rd. Academy)
Toledo senior Alexandra Cristello grabbed wins in both singles and doubles action to lead the Rockets in their close 4-3 loss to IPFW in the 2011 season opener. Cristello defeated IPFW's Alex Forsyth 6-3, 6-1 to earn the singles point from the No. 6 slot. She also partnered with freshman Polina Guimaraes to earn the team's lone doubles victory with a 8-2 rout of Forsyth/Kiefer at the No. 2 position.
Rachel Denny, Western Michigan - Junior, Oakland Township, Mich. (Academy of the Sacred Heart)
Western Michigan junior Rachel Denny had the Broncos' lone victory this week in a pair of Big Ten matches, defeating No. 45 Indiana's Kayla Fujimoto at No. 5 singles, 6-2, and 6-3. It was her 42nd career victory.