The Wisconsin women's tennis team earned a 4-0 first-round knockout over No. 9 seed Minnesota Thursday as the Big Ten Tournament got underway in Iowa.
The Badgers, who entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed with a record of 3-7 in the conference and 8-15 overall, find themselves in the conference quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
The women started strong, earning the doubles point advantage by winning prosets at No. 2 and 3 positions. Junior Alaina Trgovich and freshman partner Hannah Berner made quick work out of Gopher seniors Jackie Sperling and Tijana Koprivica winning their set 8-3. Junior Jessica Seyferth and freshman Kathleen Saltarelli sealed the victory with their 8-5 victory at No. 3.
Continuing the momentum in singles, sophomore Angela Chupa was the next to step up for the Badgers, rolling over Sperling in two sets 6-0, 6-0 and sending the Gopher away empty-handed. Trgovich added an individual victory of her own in twin sets 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1, and for the second time in the same morning, Seyferth did the honors, winning her match at No. 4 to clinch the match. After losing her first set 2-6, she came back with vengeance in the next two, allowing her opponent, freshman Doron Muravnik, to collect only one of the next 13 games and dismissing her 2-6, 6-1, 6-0.
Play at the remaining three positions did not continue after the Badgers secured the win, but the women in red led at all spots.
With the win, the Badgers advance to the quarterfinals Friday morning, where they will face top-seed Michigan, which went undefeated in regular conference play this season, including a 6-1 victory over the Badgers.
