Wayne State University Athletics

Zack Belsky/WSU Athletics

Despite a semifinals loss, Anais Ruyssen and Marta Komar still had one of the best performances in WSU history at the ITA Cup.

Women's Tennis 10/15/2023 11:00:00 AM Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

ITA Cup Run for Women's Tennis Ends in Doubles Semifinals

Anais Ruyssen and Marta Komar finished 2-1 in three matches over the weekend.

ROME, Ga. -- The Wayne State University women's tennis duo of Anais Ruyssen (Nantes, France) and Marta Komar (Inowroclaw, Poland) saw their run to the ITA Cup doubles final end on Saturday afternoon at the Rome Tennis Center.

After winning a pair of matches on Thursday and Friday to advance past the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, the redshirt junior pairing had a semifinals contest against the third-seeded Deniza Marcinkevica and Greta Schieroni from Lynn University. The No. 1-seeded WSU team fell in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, to be eliminated from contention.

Matches were running late again on Saturday due to weather issues. Ruyssen and Komar battled through the delays all weekend to record two victories over their three-day stay in Rome, Ga.

It was nonetheless a historic trip to the ITA Cup for Wayne State's leading doubles tandem. They qualified for one of the eight at-large bids up for grabs and officially sent a Warrior to the championship event for the first time since 2009. That 2009 team for the Green and Gold consisted of WSU Hall of Fame inductee Sharon Gill and teammate Milena Vuksanovic at what was then-called the ITA Small College National Championship.

The ITA Cup, formerly known as the Small College Nationals, has a history dating back to 1986. It is the only singles and doubles national championship event for the Division II and NAIA levels. In 2022, more than 8,000 players participated in 60 regional tournaments to gain entry into the ITA Cup field.

Ruyssen and Komar will rejoin their Wayne State teammates at the final fall event of the season for the program at the Northwood Invitational. The two-day tournament in Midland, Mich. is set for Sunday, October 22 and Monday, October 23.

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Players Mentioned

Marta Komar: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Marta Komar
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior