IU players win back draw title

IU women’s tennis players sophomore Kayla Fujimoto and senior Evgeniya Vertesheva captured the doubles back draw title Monday at the ITA Regional Championships in Memphis, Tenn., ending the weekend with a 4-1 record in doubles action.

The Hoosier duo vanquished Courtney Collins and Kelly Gray of the University of Memphis by a score of 8-5 in the championship match.

Fujimoto and Vertesheva lost their opening encounter in close fashion, 8-6, eliminating them from the main draw, but they recovered in the back draw to win four consecutive matches. Their opponents included teams from Butler, Eastern Kentucky, UT-Chattanooga and Memphis.

The IU sophomore and senior also participated in the singles main draw bracket.
After winning her opening match in straight sets, Fujimoto took Tennessee’s Brynn Boren, ranked 31st in the country, to three sets before falling, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-3.

Vertesheva, ranked 80th in the country and fourth in the bracket, earned a place in the quarterfinals. Her tournament ended there in a minor upset at the hands of No. 100 Jackie Wu of Vanderbilt. Wu, who would go on to win the ITA Regional Championship, took the contest by a mark of 7-5, 6-3.

The IU teammates will look to continue the run of good form this Friday through Sunday in Lawrence, Kan., at a tournament at the University of Kansas.