No. 6 Northwestern Wraps Up First Day of Wildcat Invitational

Jan. 19, 2006

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's sixth-ranked women's tennis team finished the first day of the Wildcat Invitational, which consisted of two-full doubles matches for each team. Northwestern finished 4-2 on the day with doubles wins over Iowa and New Mexico.

The Wildcats began the tournament by facing Iowa in doubles play.

Northwestern went 2-1 versus the Hawkeyes, with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles positions. The team of Alexis Prousis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) and Feriel Esseghir (Sarasota, Fla./UCLA) started things out right for the 'Cats with an 8-4 win over Iowa's Kayla Berry and Krissy Dowlin at the No. 2 spot.

Alexis Conill (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) and Jamie Peisel (Savannah, Ga./Savannah Country Day) then clinched the doubles match for the Wildcats with an 8-6 win the Hawkeyes' Milica Veselinovic and Merel Beelen.

At No. 1 doubles, Iowa's Megan Racette and Jacqueline Lee defeated Georgia Rose (Mettawa, Ill./North Shore Country Day) and Cristelle Grier (Epsom, England/Putney) 8-3.

Northwestern faced New Mexico in its second doubles match of the day.

At No. 3 doubles, the Northwestern's team of Peisel and Ghazal was the first to finish. Peisel and Ghazal topped New Mexico's Nora Quintal and Jennifer Ryba 8-3.

While Grier and Rose suffered a setback at No. 1 doubles, Prousis and Esseghir won Northwestern's second doubles match with a 9-7 win over Ala Abou-Zerky and Lucy Scott.

The Wildcats return to action at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 by facing Florida State in singles play.

WILDCAT INVITATIONAL RESULTS--DAY ONE
Doubles
Florida State vs. New Mexico
1) Maja Kovacek/Ola Abou-Zekry (UNM) def. Suzanna Mansour/Nicola Slater (FSU) 8-3
2) Iva Gersic/Lucy Scott (NM) def. Ania Rynarzewska/Whitney Eber (FSU), 8-4
3) Alina Mihailescu/Tapiwa Marobela (FSU) def. Nora Quintal/Mackenzie White (NM), 8-4
Iowa vs. Northwestern
1) Megan Racette/Jacqueline Lee (Iowa) def. Georgia Rose/Cristelle Grier (NU), 8-3
2) Alexis Prousis/Feriel Esseghir (NU) def. Kayla Berry/Krissy Dowlin (Iowa), 8-4
3) Alexis Conill/Jamie Peisel (NU) def. Milica Veselinovic/Merel Beelen (Iowa), 8-6
New Mexico vs. Northwestern
1) Maja Kovacek/Iva Gersic (NM) def. Cristelle Grier/Georgia Rose (NU), 9-7
2) Alexis Prousis/Feriel Esseghir (NU) def. Ala Abou-Zerky/Lucy Scott (NM), 9-7
3) Jamie Peisel/Nazlie Ghazal (NU) def. Nora Quintal/Jennifer Ryba (NM), 8-3
Florida State vs. Iowa
1) Megan Racette/Milica Veselinovic (Iowa) def. Suzanna Mansour/Nicola Slater (FSU), 6-8
2) Kayla Berry/Hillary Mintz (Iowa) def. Ania Rynarzewska/Whitney Eber (FSU), 8-9
3) Alina Mihailescu/Tapiwa Marobela (FSU) def. Krissy Dowlin/Jacqueline Lee (Iowa), 8-4