NORMAL, Ill. – Nikola Nikolajeva claimed championships in both singles and doubles action to highlight the play of the Milwaukee women's tennis team at the Redbird Invitational that wrapped up Sunday.
 
"I am proud of how the team played and behaved on the court," head coach Mark Goldin said. "We held true to our team identity by fighting every point hard and respecting our opponents. Our goal in the fall is to get better every day, and we made a huge jump in level from last weekend to this weekend."
 
The Panthers were one of eight teams to participate in the three-day event that started Friday and was held at Gregory Street Tennis Courts. The Panthers joined host Illinois State, along with Marquette, Valparaiso, St. Thomas, Bradley, UIC, and Eastern Illinois in the singles/doubles invite format.
 
"Last weekend, we played a little worse than we do in practice due to first-tournament nerves," Goldin said. "This weekend, we competed even better than we have been in practice and stayed super-focused."  
 
Nikolajeva was a perfect 6-0 on the weekend, going unbeaten in her three singles (Flight #3) and doubles (Flight #2) matches, knocking off the host Redbirds in the singles championship and UIC in doubles.
 
Nadiia Konieva went 2-1 in singles play to pick up a third-place spot in the standings and also combined with Nikolajeva for the doubles title.
 
Emilia Durska was also 2-1, claiming the consolation championship over Easter Illinois after dropping her first match in a challenging three sets.
 
All three doubles partners also closed out the event with victories as MKE went 3-0 on Sunday to wrap up play.
 
Nikolajeva topped Ingrid Forsberg from St. Thomas Friday, getting by in three sets 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 10-4. She then ran through semifinals and the title match, knocking off Bradley's Kirstin Hailey 6-1, 6-3 Saturday before closing out the victory with a 6-0, 6-2 blitzing of Illinois State's Emma Lindh in the finals.
 
In doubles, Nikolajeva/Konieva made quick work of St. Thomas (W, 8-4 Friday) and Bradley (W, 8-3 Saturday) before coming out on top in the championship. The Panthers had to go a little extra but put away UIC's Edith Cosmo and Nia Cooper by a final score of 8-7 (7-4).
 
Konieva dropped her second singles match (Flight #1) to Valparaiso before bouncing back with a comeback three-set victory over Redbird Lana Caculovic 2-6, 6-2, 10-8, Sunday to grab third place.
 
After dropping a heartbreaker Friday in three sets to Marquette, Durska was impressive, dropping just four games the rest of the tournament to claim the consolation runner-up spot. She made quick work of Bradley's Danielle Badman 6-1, 6-0 Saturday and then claimed the 6-1, 6-2 victory over EIU's Emma Pilipovic in Singles Flight #6 action.
 
Up next, the Panthers will wrap up their fall season with Horizon League Individual Championships, running Oct. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
"Next weekend we will have the Horizon League individual tournament to qualify for nationals," Goldin said. "I am looking forward to seeing how big of a jump in level that another week of practice will bring."
 
 
Redbird Invitational: Friday
09/27/2024 at Normal, Ill. (Gregory Street Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1 Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) def. Anna Belogliadova (Bradley) 6-3, 6-3
2 Caroline Lindahl (St. Thomas) def. Laure Razet (Milwaukee) 6-3, 6-3
3 Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Ingrid Forsberg (St. Thomas) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 10-4
4 Joelle Fiallo Schad (Marquette) def. Elisa Rubio (Milwaukee) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
5 Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) def. Anna Louis Bjornstad (St. Thomas) 6-2, 6-2
6 Emma-Jane Barclay (Marquette) def. Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 4-6, 6-4, 10-6
7 Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) def. Madi Rogers (Bradley) 6-0, 6-3
7 Sophie Marie Lowe (Illinois State) def. Giorgia Cavestro (Milwaukee) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1 Mayu Ushio/Dongke Liu (UIC) def. Laure Razet/Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) 8-4
2 Nadiia Konieva/Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Schrichandrakala Ten/Lily Olson (St. Thomas) 8-4
3 Jolene Fernandes/Brynn Steven (Valparaiso) def. Elisa Rubio/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 8-4
4 Zoe Limparis/Sophie Marie Lowe (Illinois State) def. Honoka Yamashita/Giorgia Cavestro (Milwaukee) 8-5
 
Redbird Invitational: Saturday
09/28/2024 at Normal, Ill. (Gregory Street Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1 Moira Silva (Valparaiso) def. Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 6-4, 6-4
2 Laure Razet (Milwaukee) def. Charleigh Fay (Eastern Illinois) 2-6, 6-3, 10-8
3 Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Kirstin Hailey (Bradley) 6-1, 6-3
4 Elisa Rubio (Milwaukee) def. Anais Brion (UIC) 0-6, 6-3, 10-8
5 Marta Halbersztadt (UIC) def. Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-2
6 Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Danielle Badman (Bradley) 6-1, 6-0
7 Nia Cooper (UIC) def. Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-0, 6-4
Doubles competition
1 Caroline Lindahl/Ingrid Forsberg (St. Thomas) def. Laure Razet/Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) 8-4
2 Nadiia Konieva/Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Maria Pukhina/Ruby Tseng (Bradley) 8-3
3 Marta Halbersztadt/Paula Rodriguez (UIC) def. Elisa Rubio/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 8-5
4 Anais Brion/Emma Pilipovic (Eastern Illinois) def. Honoka Yamashita/Giorgia Cavestro (Milwaukee) 8-6
 
Redbird Invitational: Sunday
09/29/2024 at Normal, Ill. (Gregory Street Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1 Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) def. Lana Caculovic (Illinois State) 2-6, 6-2, 10-8
2 E. Cosmo (UIC) def. Laure Razet (Milwaukee) 6-2, 0-6, 10-8
3 Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Emma Lindh (Illinois State) 6-0, 6-2
4 Luisa Salazar (Eastern Illinois) def. Elisa Rubio (Milwaukee) 6-2, 2-6, 10-7
6 Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Emma Pilipovic (Eastern Illinois) 6-1, 6-2
7 Madi Rogers (Bradley) def. Giorgia Cavestro (Milwaukee) 6-4, 6-2
7 Ornella Lomenzo (Eastern Illinois) def. Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-0, 6-3
Doubles competition
2 Nadiia Konieva/Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. E. Cosmo/Nia Cooper (UIC) 8-7 (7-4)
3 Elisa Rubio/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Maria Niculescu/Luisa Salazar (Eastern Illinois) 8-4
4 Honoka Yamashita/Giorgia Cavestro (Milwaukee) def. Compassion Tsai/Madi Rogers (Bradley) 8-4