Denver off to a Strong Start at Houston Open

Women's Tennis

Courtesy: Denver Athletics

Courtesy: Denver Athletics
Release: 11/02/2012

HOUSTON, Texas - The University of Denver women's tennis team tallied four singles wins in the opening round of the Tennis Express Houston Open Friday.

Sophomore Michelle Garpenlov (Tyreso, Sweden) defeated Paulina Blanc of TCU 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round of the Clyde Drexler Singles Draw, while fellow senior Steffi Rath (Hochst, Austria) opened the Leroy Burrell Singles Draw with a win over Rice's Leah Fried 6-0, 6-4. Sophomore Mandy van den Eerenbeemt (Best, Netherlands) topped Texas State's Mariana Perez in the first round of the Randy Quaid Singles Draw 4-6, 6-4, 10-3, and senior Emma Isberg (Tyreso, Sweden) defeated Ilona Serchenko of North Texas 6-2, 6-3 in the Tom Landry Singles Draw.

Senior Sophia Bergner (Schechen, Germany) recorded Denver's only singles loss of the day, falling in the Akeem Olajuwon Singles Draw to Rice's Dominique Harmath 7-6 (6), 6-4.

In doubles action, the pairing of Rath and Isberg beat Lamar's Alicia Porte and Natalia Mayagotia 8-6 in the Chandi Jones Doubles Draw, while the team of Bergner and van den Eerenbeemt fell to Rice's Dominique Harmath and Liat Zimmerman 8-2 in the Sarah Borwell Doubles Draw.

The Pioneers will continue play at the Houston Open tomorrow.

Houston Open

Friday, Nov. 2, 2012

First Round Akeem Olajuwon Singles Draw

Harmath (Rice) def. Bergner (Denver); 7-6 (6), 6-4

First Round Tom Landry Singles Draw

Isberg (Denver) def. Serchenko (North Texas); 6-2, 6-3

First Round Randy Quaid Singles Draw

Van den Eerenbeemt (Denver) def. Perez (Texas State); 4-6, 6-4, 10-3

First Round Leroy Burrell Singles Draw

Rath (Denver) def. Fried (Rice); 6-0, 6-4

First Round Clyde Drexler Singles Draw