Miami's Anastasia Dracheva Named Women's Tennis Player of the Week

Anastasia Dracheva – Miami

Sophomore - Moscow, Russia

She went 4-0 on the week as the RedHawks topped Western Michigan and Bowling Green by identical 4-3 scores to secure a perfect conference season at 8-0. At singles versus WMU Dracheva defeated  Emily Dudzik (WMU) 6-0, 6-2; and against BGSU beat Christine Chiricosta (BG) 6-4, 6-1. At No. 2  doubles she teamed with Monica Gorny to win over Amanda Moccia/Kerstin Pahl (WMU) 9-7; and Stefanie Menoff/Libby Harrison (BGSU) 8-0.

 

Dracheva improved to 19-9 this year (15-4 duals/8-0 MAC) with her 11th straight singles win. During the run, she has lost just 33 games. She is 16-4 in doubles this year, including 14-2 with current partner Monica Gorny. That duo has won 12 straight matches, including all seven conducted during league play. As a team, Miami has won nine straight matches, the longest success run since 10 straight victories to end the 1992 season.

 

Additional Nominees

 

Katia Babina – Bowling Green

Junior - Glenview, Ill. (Glenbrook South)

Was a perfect 4-0 as the Falcons split a pair of matches on the weekend ... lost only three games in her singles win over Ball State's Kylee Johnson ... teamed with Samantha Kintzel for an 8-3 win over the Cardinals in doubles ... the next day,  helped BGSU become the first MAC team to win the doubles point against Miami this year ... teamed with Kintzel for a 9-8 win in doubles ... then, rallied back after losing the first set to defeat MU's Stephanie Danesis ... now has a 29-24 overall record on the year ... went 5-3 in MAC singles play, and is 16-10 overall this year ... in doubles, has teamed with Kintzel to go 28-15 in their BGSU careers ... has won seven-straight matches (includes both singles and doubles) ... just a junior, is tied for 21st on the BGSU career singles wins list, with 46 ... is 22nd on the combined career wins list, with a total of 94 victories at BGSU.

 

Diana Popescu – Buffalo

Sophomore - Alexandria, Romania/ AL. I. Cuza

Popescu won both her doubles and singles match as the Bulls defeated Akron, 6-1.  At first doubles, Popescu teamed up with Denise Harijanto for an easy 8-2 victory.  Then at second singles, Popescu won her match in straight sets, defeating Anna Baronayte, 6-4, 6-2.  The doubles team has now won 10 straight matches.

 

Xu Chang – Eastern Michigan

Sophomore - Beijing, China-Jinan University

Sophomore Xu Chang continued her win streak...She was perfect on the weekend against Northern Illinois...Defeated Kate Friedland 7-5, 6-4 in singles, recording her second straight win, finishing with an overall MAC singles record of 5-3...Teamed up with Karina Ahuja at doubles to defeat NIU's Asuahe and Rogers, 8-3, also picking up the duo's second straight win at doubles...Chang's win at No. 2 singles and doubles propelled EMU to the seventh seed in the tournament.

 

Yumi Matsuto – Western Michigan

Junior - Kobeshi, Japan (Shukugawa/California-Pa.)

Yumi Matsuto was undefeated for the Broncos against league champion Miami and Ball State. Matsuto won 8-3 at No. 1 doubles and overcame leg cramps to complete a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 1-0 (7) comeback singles victory to become the first MAC opponent this season to win at both singles and doubles against the RedHawks. She then won 8-1 at No. 1 doubles against Ball State to finish the year 9-1 in MAC singles and doubles.

 

Previous Honorees

Jan. 20: Zara Harutyunyan – Akron

Jan. 27: Maha Guirguis – Toledo

Feb. 4: Ashley Moccia - Western Michigan

Feb. 11: Kerstin Pahl - Western Michgan

Feb. 18: Tanyaradzwa Gombera – Akron

Feb. 25: Zara Harutyunyan – Akron

Mar. 4: Emily Dudzik – Western Michigan

Mar. 11: Kathryn Friedlund – Northern Illinois

Mar. 18: Kerstin Pahl – Western Michigan

Mar. 25: Denis Harijanto – Buffalo

Apr. 1: Stefanie Menoff – Bowling Green; and Emily Dudzik - Western Michigan

Apr. 8: Monica Gorny – Miami

Apr. 15: Anna Baronayte – Akron

Apr. 15 - Anastasia Dracheva – Miami

 

This Week’s Schedule:

 

Thursday – April 23

MAC Championship at Bowling Green, Ohio

 

Thursday – April 23

No. 8 Northern Illinois versus No. 9 Ball State, noon

 

Friday – April 24

Top Bracket

No. 1 Miami versus Northern Illinois/Ball State winner, 10 a.m.

No. 4 Bowling Green versus No. 5 Toledo, 10 a.m.

 

Bottom Bracket

No. 3 Western Michigan versus No. 6 Akron, 2 p.m.

No. 2 Buffalo versus No. 7 Eastern Michigan, 2 p.m.

 

Saturday – April 25

Top Bracket winners, 10 a.m.

Bottom Bracket winners, 2 p.m.

 

Sunday – April 26

Championship match, 1 p.m.