MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Milwaukee tennis team opened the 2019 campaign against the Bradley Braves, but came up shy of a team victory losing 4-3 Sunday afternoon.
 
MKE picked up a total of four match wins against the Braves, but the tilt went towards Bradley having won 2-of-3 in doubles.
 
"Overall I thought we had the quality to win, but we didn't make adjustments soon enough when our opponents changed up their game," said head coach Jason Potthoff. "We fought hard throughout the entire match so it's just a matter of cleaning up our games a little bit while gaining experience, and I'm confident we'll be just fine."
 
Senior Alexandra Belle swept the day beginning with a 7-5 doubles win paired with freshman Mayya Perova. In singles, Belle won in straight sets defeating Sandra Maletin 6-3, 6-4.
 
Juniors Nicole Clarke and Anna Daniel Fuentes earned the other two points for the Panthers winning their singles match. Clarke defeated Nikki Perlwitz 6-4, 6-1, while Daniel Fuentes came back strong in her match after dropping the first set to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
 
From the No. 2 and 3 positions, Perova and Nikki Milner battled in each of their matches forcing three sets, but came up short in the match losing 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 and 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, respectively.
 
Up next, the Panthers will host  Northern Illinois on Friday at River Glen Elite and take Omaha the following day for a neutral match in Heartland, Wis.

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019 | Peoria, IL (Clubs at River City)
Bradley 4, Milwaukee 3
 
Doubles

1. Belle/Perova (MKE def. Maletin/Marjanovic (BU) 7-5
2. Lojpur/Wijesinghe (BU) def. Clarke/Milner (MKE) 6-3
3. Haight/Perlwitz (BU) vs. Daniel Fuentes/Harper (MKE) 6-3

Order of Finish:  3,2,1
 
Singles

1. Alexandra Belle (MKE) def. Sandra Maletin (BU) 6-3, 6-4
2. Bozana Lojpur (BU) def. Mayya Perova (MKE) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
3. Malini Wijesinghe (BU) vs. Nikki Milner (MKE) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
4. Nicole Clarke (MKE) def. Nikki Perlwitz (BU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Victoria Gonzalez (BU) def. Agata Jurczak (MKE) 7-5, 6-3
6. Anna Daniel Fuentes (MKE) def. Lindsay Haight 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Order of Finish:  4,5,1,6,2,3