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Wayne State University Athletics

0
Michigan Tech MTU (9-8)
4
Winner Wayne State WSUW (22-3)
Michigan Tech MTU
(9-8)
0
Final
4
Wayne State WSUW
(22-3)
Winner
Malak Arafat vs. Michigan Tech - 05-01-2023
Zack Belsky/WSU Athletics
Malak Arafat recorded a 6-0, 6-1 singles victory vs. MTU to help the Warriors advance in the NCAA Tournament.

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Tennis Handles Michigan Tech, Advances to NCAA Midwest Region Finals

The Warriors won all three matches against the Huskies this season.

DETROIT -- The seventh-ranked Wayne State University women's tennis team (22-3 overall) won its ninth consecutive match and advanced to the finals of the NCAA Midwest Regional by posting a 4-0 blanking of No. 46-ranked Michigan Tech (9-8 overall) on Monday afternoon inside the Duchene Athletic Facility.

The Warriors won all three matches against the Huskies in the spring season.  The squad outscored MTU 14-1 in those three matches.

Wayne State was the two seed in the regional match, played in front of a strong crowd of supporters.  Michigan Tech was the seven seed in a battle that was played indoors due to the weather.

DOUBLES
The Green and Gold nabbed victories at No. 3 and No. 1 doubles to claim the important first point in a race to four.

Both final scores were 6-1.  The freshman tandem of Martyna Szpakowska (Gdansk, Poland) and Shanice Weekes (London, England) finished first, knocking off Neva Manas and Ewa Podulka at the third flight for the duo's 18th doubles win of the campaign.

The No. 14-ranked team of Anais Ruyssen (Nantes, France) and Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland) rebounded from a doubles loss in the GLIAC title match vs. Grand Valley State to post a strong victory over another ranked pairing.  They beat No. 34-ranked Dominika Bobik and Grace Eland, in what was the second time this postseason that the two Warriors defeated the two Huskies after losing to them in the regular season.

Finally, Malak Arafat (Alexandria, Egypt) and Dea Gorgidze (Tbilisi, Georgia) were unable to finish their match against Lauren Opalewski and Emily Cojocaru at the No. 2 spot.  The Warriors held a slim 3-2 advantage at the position when action ended early.

SINGLES
All three finished matches went to WSU, making six wins via shutout in the nine-match winning streak.

Despite not finishing her doubles match, Arafat finished first at the No. 3 spot and did so in dominant fashion.  The freshman surrendered a single point to Podulka in her 6-0, 6-1 victory to put her team ahead by a 2-0 margin.

The Warriors went ahead 3-0 on Ruyssen's triumph at the top flight.  The No. 30-ranked singles player in the nation improved her win streak to seven with matching 6-4 scores in straight sets vs. Bobik.

With Duchene Athletic Facility holding four indoor courts, Szpakowska had to wait until at least one match ended prior to starting her contest against Cojocaru.  She overcame the later start to not only finish third, but become the clinching point for the Green and Gold.  Szpakowska won 6-1, 6-2, and extended her season-long winning streak to 22 matches (a 22-0 record this spring).  This officially ensured the squad a spot in the finals on Tuesday.

Playing but unable to finish were Komar, Gorgidze, and Weekes.  Komar and Gorgidze were locked into intense three-set battles against their respective opponents.  Komar drew Eland at the No. 2 spot, and won the first set 7-5, before falling 6-2 in the second.  The Warrior held a 4-3 edge in the final set.

Gorgidze was the opposite, losing the first set (6-4), but victorious in the second (6-3).  She trailed 5-3 to Manas in the final set at the No. 4 spot.

Weekes already notched a 6-0 shutout in her opening set vs. Opalewski at the sixth flight, and was ahead 1-0 early in the second.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will draw the No. 21-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers on Tuesday for a trip to Orlando, Fla. for the Round of 16.  The Lakers defeated sixth-seeded Tiffin 4-0 in the second match on Monday to advance.  This will be the third match of the season between the two programs.  WSU lost 4-3 at GVSU in the regular season, but avenged their defeat by winning 4-3 over the Lakers to win a conference championship in Midland, Mich.  The action is slated to begin at 1 p.m.

 
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